VZCZCXRO4285
PP RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHSL #0291 1721241
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201241Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1799
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000291 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:          
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT APPROVES EXPANDED ISAF MISSION 
 
REF: A. BRATISLAVA 276 
      B. BRATISLAVA 290 
 
 1. (SBU) Slovakia's Parliament approved on June 19 the 
Government's plan (described in Ref A) to expand its 
contribution to ISAF. 126 of Slovakia's 150 MPs were present 
for the vote, in which 119 voted in favor and seven 
abstained. All six MPs from the right-of-center 
Christian-Democratic Party (KDH) who were present abstained, 
as did one coalition MP, Jozef Rydlo, from the junior 
coalition partner Slovak National Party (SNS). At a June 19 
lunch with the Ambassador, ruling Smer party representatives 
voiced their full support for the increase. 
 
 2. (SBU) Under the new mandate Slovakia can send up to 246 
soldiers to Afghanistan. The Minister of Defense would like 
to expand Slovakia's mission one more time, to a total of 
280, during the current Government's term, which is expected 
to last through May 2010. Slovakia is not, however, likely to 
send combat troops to Afghanistan prior to that time. (See 
Ref A and Ref B.) 
OBSITNIK