US embassy cable - 93VIENNA31

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENNA 00031 
 
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 
 
THIS IS BRATISLAVA 002 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS AID 
 
E.O. 12356:N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, LO 
SUBJECT:  INDEPENDENT SLOVAKIA ENTERS THE WORLD STAGE 
 
1.  LIMITED OFFICIAL USE -- ENTIRE TEXT 
 
2.  SUMMARY:  WITH THE FANFARE OF FIREWORKS, THE ROAR OF 
THOUSANDS OF ROCKETS, THE UNCORKING OF HUNDREDS OF 
THOUSANDS OF BOTTLES OF CHAMPAGNE, SLOVAKS CELEBRATED 
NOT ONLY THE COMING OF THE NEW YEAR JANUARY 1 BUT ALSO 
THE MILENNIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT STATE.  THE 
SLOVAK PARLIAMENT, MEETING ON THAT DAY, FORMALLY ISSUED 
A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.  OFFICIALS ATTENDED A 
HIGH MASS THAT DAY, AND HELD A RECEPTION FOR AMBASSADORS 
OR CHARGES FROM THE SEVENTYODD COUNTRIES THAT HAVE 
ALREADY RECOGNIZED SLOVAKIA.  THE SPIRIT OF THE DAY 
SEEMED TO BE "WE CAN DO IT;" A SUBTLE PSYCHOLOGICAL TURN 
SEEMS TO HAVE OCCURRED TO THE REALIZATION THAT SLOVAKS 
NOW ARE TRULY ON THEIR OWN.  THE MAKINGS OF A NEW STATE 
ARE STILL INCOMPLETE, AND THE UNCERTAINTIES OF OUTSIDERS 
WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO BE RELIEVED.  AS SLOVAKS RETURN 
TO THEIR EVERYDAY CARES, THEY WILL SOON FIND OUT WHAT IS 
IN STORE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN OF INDEPENDENCE. 
END SUMMARY 
 
3.  THE SQUARE OF THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING, 
BRATISLAVA'S MAIN SQUARE, WHICH HAS WITNESSED MANY 
DRAMAS OF SLOVAK HISTORY SINCE IT WAS FILLED TO 
OVERFLOWING IN THE HEADY DAYS OF THE NOVEMBER 1989 
REVOLUTION WAS THE SCENE OF ONE MORE EPOCHAL EVENT AS 
CHURCH BELLS RANG IN THE NEW YEAR OVER THE SLOVAK 
CAPITAL.  DESPITE THE COLD, THOUSANDS OF MERRY-MAKERS 
FILLED THE SQUARE'S LOWER PORTION, TO HEAR PRIME 
MINISTER VLADIMIR MECIAR ANNOUNCE THAT SLOVAKIA WAS NOW 
INDEPENDENT.  MANY, HOWEVER, WERE TOO INVOLVED IN THE 
MERRIMENT OF THE MOMENT TO HEAR HIS WORDS.  THE NEXT 
MORNING, HUNDREDS OF SLOVAKS LINED THE STREETS WAITING TO 
BUY THE FIRST POSTAGE STAMPS OF THE NEW REPUBLIC. 
 
4.  IN A NEW YEAR'S SPEECH TO THE NATION, MECIAR CALLED 
THE DEMISE OF THE CSFR PART OF THE GEOPOLITICAL CHANGES 
OCCURRING IN THE WORLD, AND ALSO OF THE DIFFERENT 
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CZECH AND SLOVAK 
REPUBLICS AFTER 1989, AND OF THE "MISTAKES" MADE DURING 
THAT TIME.  HE SAID THERE IS INDEED SOMETHING TO 
CELEBRATE: NOT ONLY THE CULMINATION OF A MILLENIAL LONGING 
FOR ONE'S OWN STATE, BUT ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRECTLY 
PARTICIPATING IN EUROPEAN AND WORLD-WIDE INTEGRATION. 
SLOVAK SECURITY WOULD BE GUARANTEED IN AN "ALL EUROPEAN 
SECURITY SYSTEM." (NOTE: ON JANUARY 4, IN A SPEECH TO THE 
BUDDING SLOVAK MILITARY, MECIAR SAID THAT AN ARMY IS NEED 
BECAUSE, "WHILE WE HAVE NO ENEMIES, WE HAVE NO ALLIES 
EITHER").  MECIAR DENIED THAT SLOVAKIA WOULD BE ISOLATED 
INTERNATIONALLY, AND POINTED TO RAPID RECOGNITION BY OTHER 
STATES. 
 
5.  IN DESCRIBING RELATIONS WITH THE U.S., MECIAR CALLED 
THEM "IMPORTANT."  HE SAID THAT, WHILE SOMEONE TRIED TO 
"EMBITTER" THOSE RELATIONS TOWARD THE END OF LAST YEAR, HE 
BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED (MECIAR REFERRED 
TO THE EAVESDROPPING INCIDENT IMPLICITLY ONLY).  WHILE NOT 
EXPLICITLY VOWING TO INSURE THAT SUCH INCIDENTS NOT REPEAT 
THEMSELVES, MECIAR DID STATE THAT SLOVAKIA WILL RESPECT 
THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE DIPLOMATIC OFFICES OF ALL STATES 
AND ALL OBLIGATIONS ARISING FROM INTERNATIONAL 
CONVENTIONS.  AFTER MENTIONING THE U.S., MECIAR PLACED 
RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE AND THEN WITH THE 
CZECH REPUBLIC, RELATIONS WHICH HE SAID WOULD BE THE "MOST 
NUMEROUS."  RELATIONS WITH AUSTRIA ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE 
OF THE COUNTRY'S CHARACTER AS A MARKET ECONOMY AND 
ADVANCED DEMOCRACY, AND WITH HUNGARY ON THE BASIS OF 
"NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS" AND "INVOLABILITY 
OF BORDERS."  THE GABCIKOVO PROBLEM, MECIAR SAID, SHOULD 
BE SOLVED BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT. 
 
6.  MECIAR SAID THAT THE STRUCTURE OF SLOVAK 
ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, 
STARTING WITH CENTRAL STATE ORGANS AND CONTINUING WITH 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION; HE ASSURED THERE 
WOULD BE NO "BLAVO(BRATISLAVA)CENTRALISM" TO MAKE UP FOR 
THE DETESTED "PRAGOCENTRALISM."  THE COUNTRY WOULD BE 
BUILT UP ACCORDING TO LEGAL NORMS PREVALENT IN THE EC. 
PRIVATIZATION WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE AIM OF ESTABLISHING 
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CLASS.  MECIAR CLOSED BY NOTING THAT 
"IF WE BELIEVE OURSELVES, THE WORLD WILL BELIEVE US AS 
WELL." 
 
7.  AT A SESSION HELD ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 1, THE 
SLOVAK PARLIAMENT APPROVED A DECLARATION ANNOUNCING 
SLOVAKIA AS ONE OF THE TWO SUCCESSOR STATES TO THE CSFR. 
THE DECLARATION ASSURED THAT SLOVAKIA WOULD ASSUME ITS 
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL COMMITMENTS AND BE GOVERNED ACCORDING 
TO THE RULES OF A PLURALISTIC DEMOCRACY.  THE PARLIAMENT 
DECLARED SLOVAKIA'S INTENTION OF JOINING THE UN AND 
COUNCIL OF EUROPE AND ITS READINESS TO EXCHANGE DIPLOMATIC 
RELATIONS WITH ALL STATES BASED ON "FRIENDSHIP AND 
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE (NA MIEROVOM SPOLUNAZIVANI), ON THE 
BASIS OF EQUALITY, NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS, 
AND INVOLABILITY OF BORDERS.  IN REMARKS BEFORE PARLIAMENT 
THAT MORNING, MECIAR WARNED THAT THE COMING YEAR WOULD BE 
"DIFFICULT," BUT NOT NECESSARILY MORE SO THAN PAST ONES. 
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IVAN GASPAROVIC, FOR HIS PART, ASKED 
HIS COLLEAGUES FOR "UNITY," NOT IN THE FORMAL SENSE THAT 
DISREGARDS THE NATURAL DIFFERENTIATION OF INTERESTS, BUT 
ONE THAT PLACES POLITICAL STABILITY, SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, 
AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AS AIMS FOR EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF 
PARTY.  IN THE JANUARY 4 "PRACA," GASPAROVIC URGED HIS 
FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN TO BE REALISTIC -- NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE 
THEIR OWN POTENTIAL, BUT TO REALISTICALLY JUDGE THE 
ECONOMIC, MORAL, AND PHYSICAL RESERVES OF THE COUNTRY AND 
ITS POPULATION. 
 
8.  FOREIGN MINISTER MILAN KNAZKO, IN A JANUARY 1 PRESS 
CONFERENCE, SOUGHT TO PLACE SLOVAK FOREIGN POLICY IN THE 
CONTOURS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AND SECURITY.  HE SAID 
SLOVAKIA WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE VISEGRAD FOUR, AND 
THAT AS FAR AS ARMS SALES ARE CONCERNED, SLOVAKIA WOULD 
NOT EXPORT TO RISK AREAS AND WOULD SEEK TO COORDINATE ITS 
APPROACH WITH SUCH STATES AS THE U.S. AND FRANCE.  HE 
REJECTED THE NOTION OF A RENEWED "LITTLE ENTENTE" AGAINST 
POSSIBLE FUTURE HUNGARIAN EXPANSIONISM.  FINALLY, HE 
CAREFULLY FIELDED A JOURNALIST'S QUESTION WHICH SOUGHT TO 
FORCE HIM TO DIFFERENTIATE HIS CONCEPTION OF FOREIGN 
POLICY FROM MECIAR'S (MECIAR HAD PLACED THE U.S. FIRST IN 
DISCUSSING FOREIGN RELATIONS, WHEREAS KNAZKO HAD SAID THAT 
RELATIONS WITH SLOVAKIA'S NEIGHBORS, ESPECIALLY THE CZECH 
REPUBLIC, WOULD BE ITS PRIORITIES). 
 
9.  MARIAN TKAC, WHO IS ORGANIZING THE SLOVAK NATIONAL 
BANK, PREDICTED IN A JANUARY 4 INTERVIEW IN "NARODNA 
OBRODA" THAT ONCE FLOATED, SLOVAKIA'S CURRENCY SHOULD NOT 
LOSE MORE THAN 10 PCT OF ITS VALUE, WHICH HE CONSIDERS A 
"FANTASTIC SUCCESS" GIVEN THE MUCH LARGER FALL IN THE 
CZECHOSLOVAK KORUNA'S VALUE SINCE 1990.  TKAC ALSO SAW ONE 
OF THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF INDEPENDENCE BEING THAT IT 
ALLOWS SLOVAKIA TO EXECUTE ITS OWN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL 
STRATEGY. 
 
10.  COMMENT:  WHILE TEARS SHED LAST WEEKEND WERE MOSTLY 
TEARS OF JOY, A FEW DIE-HARDS GATHERED NEW YEAR'S EVE TO 
GRIEVE THE LOSS OF THEIR CZECH CONNECTION AT THE CZECH 
LION -- THE TRADITIONAL MONUMENT TO CZECH-SLOVAK 
STATEHOOD.  IN THE RECENT PAST, MANY SLOVAKS HAVE BEEN 
GLOOMY ABOUT THE EFFECT OF INDEPENDENCE ON THEIR ECONOMIC 
FUTURE.  THOSE THAT CELEBRATED, HOWEVER, SEEMED TO BE 
GENUINELY ELATED AT THE NOVELTY OF LIVING IN THEIR OWN 
STATE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN FUTURE.  ONE CAN 
EXPECT THAT QUESTIONS ABOUT POLITICAL PLURALITY WILL 
CONTINUE TO PLAGUE THE RULING HZDS AS SLOVAKIA LOOKS AWAY 
FROM THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE AND MORE TOWARD DEVELOPING 
BOTH POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY AS A STATE. 
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, KNAZKO AGAIN TOOK THE ROLE OF 
DISSIDENT WITHIN HIS OWN MOVEMENT; IN REPLY TO A POLL 
CONDUCTED BY "NARODNA OBRODA," (JANUARY 4), HE REJECTED 
THE IDEA THAT THE HZDS A A MOVEMENT IS OVERSENITIVE TO 
MEDIA CRITICISM, AND SUGGESTED THE QUESTIONER CONSIDER 
WHICH SPECIFIC PERSONS ACT IN SUCH A WAY.  HE SAID HE 
REGARDS THE OPPOSITION AS AN INDELIBLE PART OF A 
PLURALISTIC SYSTEM AND AN INTELLIGENT OPPOSITION AS THE 
BEST COLLABORATOR OF A GOVERNING POLITICAL GROUPING. 
KNAZKO WAS ALSO TRUE TO THIS THOUGHT WHEN, IN A SIDE 
CONVERSATION WITH CHARGE AFTER RECEIVING THE FIRST 
DIPLOMATIC VISA ISSUED BY THE US EMBASSY, HE NOTED THAT IT 
WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT IN A NEW SUNDAY WEEKLY INTERVIEW 
PROGRAM, SLOVAK TV DECIDED TO HAVE THE WIVES OF PROMINENT 
GOVERNMENT POLITICIANS (MRS. MECIAR, PROKES, GASPAROVIC, 
WEISS, KOVAC), BUT NOT THE WIVES OF MEMBERS OF THE 
OPPOSITION.  HACKER UNQUOTE 
 
SWIHART