VZCZCXRO0461
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSL #0406/01 2641308
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 211308Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0166
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0202

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BRATISLAVA 000406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CE 
STATE FOR ISN/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  9/21/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO HU BH
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA: CHARGE'S MEETING WITH FM LAJCAK 
 
REF: A. A) STATE 95073 
     ¶B. B) BRATISLAVA 402 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000406  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Keith A. Eddins, CDA, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
¶1. (C)  Summary.  Charge d'Affaires Eddins met with Foreign 
Minister Lajcak on September 18, prior to Lajcak's departure for 
the U.S.   Lajcak reviewed his recent trips to Moscow and Minsk. 
 Other topics included Afghanistan, Iran, Slovak-Hungarian 
relations, the Balkans, and Guantanamo detainees.  Lajcak said 
he would be bringing two proposals on Afghanistan to Washington; 
agreed with ref a points on Iran; expressed displeasure with a 
recent interview by Hungarian FM Balazs; shared a non-paper on 
Bosnia which he intends to discuss with Balkan experts in 
Washington; and indicated potential openness to further 
discussion on Guantanamo detainees.  Lajcak reiterated that 
Prime Minister Fico would like to visit the U.S., even if the 
proposed November timeframe slips to next year.  There are "many 
reasons to keep him (Fico) on board," he added.  End Summary. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
 
¶2. (C) FM Lajcak will bring with him to DC two "proposals" on 
Afghanistan, which would be approved by PM Fico before Lajcak's 
departure to the States.  Lajcak nodded affirmatively in 
response to Charge's query as to whether the proposals were 
related to an OMLT and the deployment of Slovak Special Forces. 
Lajcak reiterated, however, that no formal commitment or mandate 
change would be forthcoming until after Slovak elections in June 
¶2010.  He agreed with Charge that, given necessary lead times 
for training, equipping, etc., a solution needed to be found to 
allow preparations to begin sooner than mid-2010. (Comment: 
Unfortunately, the GOS seems no farther along in its thinking 
about how to square this circle.  DAO and ODC representatives 
have repeatedly explained to MOD counterparts that the bulk of 
the training and equipping they seek from the U.S. will not be 
available until Slovakia has given us more than an oral 
expression of intent to deploy.  As for the proposals, we will 
be surprised if they turn out to be materially different from 
what the GOS has been telling us they would like to do for the 
last year or so.) 
 
Iran 
---- 
 
¶3. (C)  Charge conveyed ref a demarche regarding Iran. Lajcak 
concurred and agreed to include similar points in his UNGA 
remarks, although he noted that the precise language would have 
to be harmonized with the EU's agreed position. 
 
Kosovo/Bosnia 
------------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  The Slovaks will meet with Kosovar delegation on 
margins of UNGA (ref b).  Lajcak told Charge that he opposed the 
current MOD plan to end KFOR participation - a decision he 
implicitly denied was linked to Slovakia's position on 
recognition.  He said he had an agreement from PM Fico and the 
President that a Slovak drawdown proportionate to that of KFOR 
reduction was the preferred way to go.  He stated that the 
Slovak PermRep to NATO was pursuing this option.  Lajcak said he 
intended to put forward some ideas on BiH, about which he is 
very concerned, during a roundtable with Balkan experts on 
9/21.  He provided a Food for Thought paper (emailed to CE and 
SCE), which he has asked Ambassador Burian to disseminate in 
advance of the roundtable. (Comment: At a September 17 
reception, MFA PolDir Slobodnik told Charge that FM Lajcak is 
developing his own policy initiatives on Bosnia and that he 
expected him to remain very active on this issue.) 
 
Moscow, Minsk Visits 
-------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Lajcak confirmed reports that President Medvedev will 
visit Bratislava in April.  The Russians have expressed interest 
in concluding a joint declaration aimed at combating what they 
referred to as "historical revisionism" of World War Two, e.g., 
efforts to equate Russia with Germany in terms of responsibility 
for the start of the war.  Lajcak assured Charge that the 
Slovaks would be very cautious that any potential declaration 
was fully consistent with Slovakia's NATO and EU membership.  As 
for deliverables for the meeting, Lajcak mentioned two old 
initiatives: the construction of a cyclotron and cooperation in 
military armaments production. 
 
¶6. (C)  He described Russian FM Lavrov as upbeat on U.S.-Russian 
consultations/relations.  Lajcak characterized the Russian 
reaction to MD decision as positive, and seen as a gesture of 
seriousness and goodwill.   He described familiar Russian 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000406  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
positions on Iran and sanctions, to which Charge reiterated our 
concern about the risks of inaction.  Lajcak confirmed that the 
EU, despite differing opinions, would not block new sanctions. 
 
¶7. (C)  Lajcak expanded on the readout (emailed to UMB and CE) 
of his meetings in Minsk, particularly Lukashenko's stated 
frustrations with the Russians.  According to Lajcak, Lukashenko 
complained about Russian unreliability, inability to fulfill or 
follow through on agreements, and behavior bordering on 
blackmail.  He also talked a good bit about his relations with 
Medvedev and Putin, accusing the latter of trying to undermine 
his relations with the former.  Lukashenko said Medvedev is very 
jealous of his presidential prerogatives, but that the current 
ambiguities in the leadership situation had created a great deal 
of uncertainty in the Russian system. 
 
Hungary 
------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Lajcak expressed exasperation about the extent to which 
the relationship dominated his agenda.  He stated that he had 
been very angry to read an interview in the German press in 
which FM Balasz was quoted as saying that Slovakia was like a 
little brother that needed to be taught "European manners," and 
made a comparison between Fico government and Ceaucescu regime. 
According to Lajcak, he and Balasz had spoken about the 
interview and Balazs had told him that he been misquoted, and 
would issue some sort of clarification/apology on the MFA 
website.  In general, Lajcak said that Balazs has been a very 
constructive partner and confirmed that the two would meet on 
the margins of the UNGA to map out implementation of their PM's 
September 10 11-point agreement. 
 
¶9. (C)  In response to Charge's question,  Lajcak was 
unequivocal that Slovakia would not adopt a comprehensive 
minority law, as has been recommended by COE and now OSCE High 
Commissioner Vollebaek.  Finally, he expressed concern (and, he 
admitted, a little paranoia) about a recent article in 
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung drawing parallels between German 
unification and Hungary's current situation.  Explaining the 
paranoia, Lajcak noted that President Solyom had recently been 
in Germany, where he had given background interviews to press. 
Both Lajcak and PolDir Slobodnik conveyed concern about possible 
invitations from Congress to representatives of ethnic 
Hungarians to make their case on the language law.  Charge told 
both that we were not aware of any such initiative, but that we 
would let them know if we heard anything. 
 
Ukraine 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) Charge asked Lajcak about the current state of 
Slovak-Ukrainian relations, which have been strained since the 
January gas crisis. Lajcak described the situation in Ukraine as 
"chaotic," which affected his ability to help put relations on a 
more normal footing.  Lajcak said he had invited his Ukrainian 
counterpart to visit Bratislava in August, prior to Lajcak's 
travel to Moscow and Minsk, but that the Ukrainian side had 
postponed the visit until November. 
 
Corruption and the Slovak Judiciary 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (C)  At the close of the meeting, Charge spoke positively 
about the steps that Deputy Prime Minister Caplovic has taken in 
his capacity as interim Environment Minister to clean up what 
was clearly a very corrupt ministry.  He added that issues 
related to human rights, good governance, corruption, media 
freedom, rule of law, etc. may be raised with Slovak officials 
in upcoming Washington meetings - if not with Lajcak, than with 
DPM Caplovic, who will be meeting with DRL A/AS Stewart.  Charge 
highlighted continued U.S. concerns about the Slovak judiciary 
in this context.  Lajcak responded that his only information on 
the situation is via the Slovak media, which is "horrible."  He 
said he was personally not a fan of Chief Justice Harabin, but 
speculated that Harabin was not as bad as the media made him out 
to be.  Charge rejoined that we speak with many experts in the 
legal community and the situation is, in fact, quite serious, 
particularly as it concerns U.S. companies' confidence in a free 
and fair judiciary. 
 
Embassy Comment 
--------------- 
 
¶12. (C) Nine months into his tenure as Foreign Minister, Lajcak 
is traveling to Washington and New York mostly comfortable with 
his position.  But he is also still working to ensure that he 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000406  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
will be retained in his ministerial post following next year's 
Slovak elections, and securing a Fico visit to the White House 
would go a long way toward achieving that goal.  He recently 
told visiting OSCE High Commissioner Vollebaek (protect) that he 
was the only Slovak cabinet minister who ever stood up to or 
otherwise confronted Fico on policy differences, but our take is 
that he remains much more interested in pleasing the Prime 
Minister than in challenging him.  Nevertheless, Lajcak remains 
our best -- and certainly most accessible -- senior interlocutor 
on key national security issues, and is able to engage with Fico 
on issues such as Afghanistan and Kosovo. 
EDDINS