US embassy cable - 05BRATISLAVA272

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NP/CBM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, ETTC, LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKS ON AUSTRALIA GROUP AND NPT CONFERENCES 
 
REF: (A) STATE 49648 (B) STATE 56903 (C) BRATISLAVA 209 
 
Australia Group 
--------------- 
 
1. (U) Poloff delivered reftel demarches March 31 to Karol 
Mistrik, Director of the MFA's Department of Disarmament, 
OSCE, and Counter-Terrorism, and his deputy, Henrik Markus. 
Mistrik confirmed he will lead the delegation to Sydney, 
accompanied by representatives from the Ministries of 
Economy, Interior, and Defense as well a representative of 
the Customs Directorate.  The Slovak delegation is preparing 
three presentations for the conference to "contribute to the 
common knowledge and experience."  These will include a 
presentation on information exchanges, a Customs/Ministry of 
Economy-led discussion of law enforcement  issues, and a 
possible third presentation on handling of classified 
information.  Mistrik said the third presentation would be a 
practical "how to" presentation on implementing classified 
information laws while working with multilateral export 
control regimes.  (NOTE: Mistrik mentioned at a previous 
meeting that the GOS clearly understood and accepted the U.S. 
call to participate more actively at AG plenary sessions -- 
ref C.  He suggested the GOS is following up on its previous 
pledge to participate actively in Sydney.) 
 
NPT Conference 
-------------- 
 
2. (U) MFA State Secretary, Magdalena Vasaryova, will lead 
the Slovak delegation to New York for the NPT Conference. 
The delegation will include representatives from the Nuclear 
Regulatory Authority, the Disarmament Department at the MFA, 
the Slovak representation in New York, and the Slovak 
representation to the Arms Control IOs in Vienna.  Slovak 
participants will alternate, staying in New York for one week 
at a time. 
 
3. (SBU) Mistrik voiced concern that the lack of a firmly 
agreed upon agenda would stifle the effectiveness of the 
conference.  He predicted the first days of the conference 
would be wasted with debates over the discussion's emphasis 
rather than on substance.  The GOS has divided its positions 
into matters of EU responsibility and matters of national 
prerogative.  The Nuclear Regulatory Authority plans to 
discuss technical matters concerning the use of nuclear 
energy.  Political positions at the conference will follow FM 
Kukan's March 17 comments at the Conference of Disarmament 
(faxed to NP/CBM) focusing on nonproliferation and the need 
to keep states within the NPT framework.  Mistrik urged 
concrete steps from all states to make the NPT succeed.  He 
said the NPT has been in stagnation since 1996; only a 
reinvigorated NPT framework can produce progress on 
nonproliferation goals. 
THAYER 
 
 
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