US embassy cable - 05BRATISLAVA939

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000939 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM, PM, LO, BO 
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE REQUEST: SLOVAKS BUYING MILITARY SUPPLIES 
MADE IN BELARUS 
 
 
 1. SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE REQUEST. The Slovak Ministry of 
Defense has signed contracts with a Slovak firm to purchase 
replacement military parts made in Belarus. Embassy 
Bratislava requests guidance on the USG's view of a NATO ally 
indirectly purchasing military supplies from Belarus. END 
SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE REQUEST. 
 
2. Local media reported November 8 that the MOD had signed 
contracts to purchase components for the S-300 (SA-10) 
missile system from Ralas s.r.o., an incorporated domestic 
firm specializing in imports and exports. Ralas s.r.o., 
according to the same reports, will purchase those parts from 
a private supplier in Belarus. 
 
3. The MoD and the MFA have defended publicly the decision to 
buy military supplies made in Belarus, pointing out there is 
no embargo on trade with Belarus, and that the beneficiaries 
of this deal are private firms. Only one other firm, Chemica 
spol s.r.o., (a Slovak subsidiary of the original Russian 
supplier of the S-300 (SA-10) missile system), submitted a 
bid to supply the parts, and that bid was 15 million Slovak 
crowns (US$495,000) higher. 
 
4. To date, Embassy Bratislava has not offered nor been asked 
for an opinion on this issue. Slovakia generally shares USG 
concerns related to Belarus. Slovak NGOs and political 
parties actively work with Belarusian civil society and 
opposition parties to promote democracy. 
VALLEE 
 
 
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