VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSL #0467 2841420
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 101420Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2010
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000467 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2012 
TAGS:                
SUBJECT: SLOVAK GAERC POSITIONS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 108064 
 
Classified By: DCM Keith Eddins for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
 1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel points to Albin Otruba, 
European Correspondent at the Slovak MFA, on October 9. 
Slovak views on Zimbabwe, Belarus and Georgia are all nearly 
aligned with U.S. views. Slovakia will support lifting visa 
restrictions and the Arms Embargo against Uzbekistan. Otruba 
expects EU FMs will have little time for substantive policy 
debate at this GAERC as their priority will be preparation 
for the upcoming European Council meeting. 
 
GEORGIA 
------- 
 2. (C) Otruba appreciated the U.S. points on Georgia and said 
Slovakia's position is "very simmilar." Slovakia wants 
Russia's obligation to remove armed forces from South Ossetia 
and Abkhazia to be referenced in any communique, even though 
it is "clearly not realistic" and the EU's relations with 
Russia should not be made conditional on such a withdrawal. 
 
Belarus 
------- 
 3. (SBU) Otruba said Slovakia "fully agrees" with U.S. points 
on Belarus. They view recent Belarusian moves through the 
context of the Georgian crisis, and wish to encourage 
positive steps without taking the pressure off. To that end, 
Slovakia will support a limited suspension of visa 
restrictions for second and third level officials of the 
Belarusian government. Visas for President Lukashenko and his 
closest advisers should remain restricted, according to 
Otruba. 
 
Zimbabwe 
-------- 
 4. (SBU) As far as Slovakia is concerned the agreement 
between President Mugabe and the MDU has not been implemented 
until a new government has been formed. Until that time, 
nothing has changed and there is no need to review the EU's 
sanctions. 
 
Uzbekistan 
---------- 
 5. (C) Slovakia will support the lifting of visa restrictions 
and the arms embargo against Uzbekistan. Otruba said neither 
has been effective, and in the context of the Georgia-Russia 
crisis such restrictions only serve to limit EU influence in 
a strategically important country. Otruba argued that is 
"necessary to be relistic about democracy in Central Asia. 
There isno chance of a western type democracy arising in 
Uzbekistan." 
 
EDDINS