VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSL #0187/01 0861639
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 271639Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0807
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0084
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0106
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA PRIORITY 0054

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000187 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SR YI KO UNSC LO
SUBJECT: HEATED PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE OVER KOSOVO CONTINUES; 
FM KUBIS SAYS HE STILL HAS A MANDATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Lawrence R. Silverman, for reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: While the MFA issued a statement March 27 
emphasizing EU unity and support for the Contact Group on a 
Kosovo final status UNSCR based on the Ahtisaari plan, 
politicians took to the floor in parliament with a string of 
diatribes against the prospect of an independent Kosovo 
without Serb agreement.  Coalition leaders on March 26 agreed 
to a new resolution text that included negative rhetoric, but 
FM Kubis sent us a clear message that he would retain his 
mandate to stay within the EU.  That said, as of COB, FM 
Kubis, disturbed at the tenor of the parliamentary debate, 
had gone to parliament to participate.  The debate was 
expected to continue into the night, with a vote the morning 
of March 28.  We are told the coalition's non-binding 
resolution will prevail, but offer no guarantees.  End 
summary. 
 
Coalition Agrees to Support Common Resolution 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶2. (U) Coalition party leaders PM Robert Fico (Smer), Jan 
Slota (Slovak National Party--SNS), and Vladimir Meciar 
(Movement for a Democratic Slovakia--HZDS) met at Meciar's 
private villa March 26 to hammer out agreements on Kosovo, 
the new labor law, and support for Economy Minister Lubomir 
Jahnatek (whom the opposition would like to recall).  On 
Kosovo, the coalition partners agreed to a new draft text for 
a parliamentary declaration, which met the needs of the 
nationalists to express displeasure with the prospect of 
Kosovo independence, while at the same time emphasizing that 
the GOS should follow the common EU line (text in para 3). 
The negative preambular language was due in part to Meciar's 
unhelpful stance.  He reportedly opened the Coalition Council 
meeting by telling Fico he intended to vote for the harsher 
SNS resolution.  (Comment: This is contrary to HZDS contacts' 
claims that the party would be largely on the right side of 
this issue.  End comment) 
 
¶3. (U) Begin Informal Translation of the Text: 
 
DECLARATION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC ON 
RESOLVING THE FUTURE STATUS OF THE SERBIAN PROVINCE OF KOSOVO 
 
The National Council of the Slovak Republic 
 
Expresses the belief 
 
that a full and unlimited independence of the Kosovo province 
is not in the interest of stability of the region that was 
exposed to tragedies and crises for the past long years; 
 
that not all options have been exhausted for a dialogue 
leading to an agreement; 
 
that resolving the future status of the Kosovo province must 
be based on respect for the UN Charter and other 
international legal norms; 
 
that the future status of Kosovo will not set a precedent in 
international law; 
 
Expects 
 
that the Government of the Slovak Republic will seek a joint 
solution for the future of the Western Balkans together with 
other EU member states and with a clear perspective for 
integrating the countries of the Western Balkans into the 
European Union; 
 
Recalls 
 
the decisions of the Slovak Government in 1999 that 
contributed to destabilizing the Western Balkans region; 
 
Is convinced 
 
that this statement, reflecting the will of the National 
Council of the Slovak Republic, will contribute to 
stabilizing the situation in the given region. 
 
End Text. 
 
¶4. (C) We made clear to our contacts that even though it was 
preambular language, sentiment that the negotiations route 
had not been exhausted was unhelpful.  Speaker of Parliament 
Pavol Paska (Smer), Chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs 
Committee Boris Zala (Smer), and Chair of Parliament's 
European Affairs Committee Milan Urbani (HZDS) all assured 
the Ambassador, DCM, and poloffs 3/27 that the resolution was 
 
a political compromise which meant nothing.  It would be 
passed and forgotten the next day, and the government would 
have free rein to act in the EU and UNSC.  Knowing that the 
DCM had a breakfast meeting 3/27 with his chief advisor 
Vladimir Faic, PM Fico gave Faic instructions to reassure us 
that the resolution would not pose any problem to Slovakia 
following the EU consensus position in Brussels and New York. 
 Zala told us he had included the language critical of "full 
and unlimited" to counter harsher language categorically 
opposing the the breakup of any European state.  He claimed 
he tried to stay close to language Ahtisaari had used so the 
GOS would be able to support the kind of independence 
Ahtisaari was advocating. 
 
¶5. (C) SNS withdrew both its original draft resolution and 
the resolution it worked up with oppostion parties SDKU and 
KDH.  Smer substituted the new coalition language for its 
original draft.  The debate in the plenary session began 
after lunch.  It was full of hot rhetoric from Slota and 
other SNS MPs, former PM and opposition leader Mikulas 
Dzurinda (defending his SDKU party's resolution), and several 
Christian Democrat (KDH) MPs.  As of COB, the debate was 
ongoing.  Angry at the tenor of the debate, FM Kubis went to 
parliament late this afternoon to observe/participate.  His 
chef de cabinet told us they expected the debate to continue 
late into the evening, and that the MPs would vote on the 
various resolutions on March 28. 
 
MFA Sticks to Its Line of Support for Ahtisaari 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶6. (C) FM Jan Kubis informed us through his chef de cabinet 
that he had consulted with PM Fico on the coalition 
resolution language prior to the coalition's acceptance and 
that the PM had assured him it would not in any way alter 
Kubis's mandate on this issue or his authority regarding the 
vote at the UNSC.  The operative language, saying what 
parliament "expected," said that Slovakia in effect had to 
coordinate with its EU partners.  This was meant to signal 
that the most important part of the resolution left Kubis's 
hands free to go along with the EU.  Ambassador is expecting 
to meet with Kubis March 28. 
 
¶7. (U) Meanwhile, despite the impending debate in parliament, 
the MFA released a statement early March 27 expressing that 
during the UNSC debate on the Ahtisaari plan, Slovakia would 
seek a solution that led to peace and security and emphasized 
the European perspective of the Balkans region.  Slovakia 
would support all suggestions that would lead to a mutually 
agreeable, friendly solution.  Slovakia would also emphasize 
that any UNSCR would not set a precendent.  The MFA expressed 
full support for the direction and role of the Contact Group, 
and called for continued unity as the matter proceeded 
through the UNSC.  The MFA also emphasized EU unity within 
the UNSC, and vowed to fulfill its role responsibly as a 
member of the EU, NATO, and UNSC. 
VALLEE