Cablegate: Congressman Lantos Urges Slovakia to Resolve

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000750

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SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL LE IZ LO
SUBJECT: CONGRESSMAN LANTOS URGES SLOVAKIA TO RESOLVE
ETHNIC TENSIONS AND TAKE ITS PLACE ON WORLD STAGE

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1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On September 4 in Brtislava,
Representative Tom Lantos (D-California) delivered the
message to the GOS that ethnic Slovak-Hungarian tensions must
be resolved and that the Slovak government needs to do more
to assure its role on the world stage. Rep. Lantos met with
Prime Minister Robert Fico, Deputy Prime Minister Dusan
Caplovic, Foreign Minister Jan Kubis, Defense Minister
Frantisek Kasicky, and members of the Parliamentary Foreign
Affairs Committee. All noted the strong U.S.-Slovak
bilateral relationship. Lantos's interlocutors assured him
that they condemned ethnic extremism, requested that the
Hungarians also carry their weight in reducing tensions, and
said that Slovakia will remain a strong ally of the U.S. on
global and Middle East issues, noting their presence in Iraq
and Lebanon. In response to Lantos's direct criticism of the
inclusion of the nationalist SNS party in the governing
coalition, PM Fico and FM Kubis both requested that their
government be evaluated on its policy and action, not the
mere existence of a legitimate, albeit extreme, political
party. Rep. Lantos agreed to pass a message from PM Fico to
Hungarian PM Gyurcsany about Fico's commitment to deal with
the problem. The Congressman, who informed the media that he
had not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a
resolution criticizing the Fico government for including SNS,
told us that he was "leaning against" it. Throughout the
day-long visit, the Congressman received several inquiries
about the Visa Waiver Program. END SUMMARY.

SLOVAK-HUNGARIAN ETHNIC TENSIONS AND SNS
----------------------------------------

2. (SBU) Rep. Lantos straightforwardly told the Slovak
politicians that, while it is privilege of elected Slovak
officials to include the xenophobic Slovak National Party
(SNS) in the governing coalition, it is the privilege of
others to criticize this decision. The current international
criticism is a self-inflicted wound. The GOS must resolve
the rising Slovak-Hungarian ethnic tensions, exemplified by
the attack on an ethnic Hungarian university student by
skinheads in the Slovak town of Nitra. At the same time,
Lantos noted, Hungarian soccer hooligans should not be
chanting extremist anti-Slovak and anti-Semitic slogans at
soccer matches.

3. (SBU) In separate meetings, both PM Fico and FM Kubis
defended the inclusion of SNS as a junior partner in the
government as a viable method for the social-democratic party
Smer to remain firmly in control of the government. They
condemned manifestations of extremism within Slovakia. The
international community, both men pointed out, should judge
the GOS on its current policy and deeds, not on the past
statements of controversial SNS Chairman Jan Slota, whom Fico
said he had expressly excluded from a government position.
The GOS as a whole, and Fico and Kubis personally, had
condemned all acts of extremism numerous times. The police
were aggressively pursuing the investigation of the attack in
Nitra and had created a special unit to handle cases of
extremist crimes.

NOT A ONE-WAY STREET
--------------------

4. (SBU) The PM and FM said that the (Slovak) Party of the
Hungarian Coalition (SMK) and some officials in Hungary are
complicit in fanning the flames of ethnic tensions for
political gain. Efforts to relieve tensions must be a
two-way street. FM Kubis outlined his extensive contact with
Hungarian FM Kinga Goncz and listed their joint efforts, past
and planned, to help quell ethnic tensions. PM Fico
requested that Rep. Lantos pass the message to Hungarian PM
Gyurcsany that the GOS is ready to resolve the issue using
all the tools at its disposal and that he asks the GOH to do
the same. Additionally, Fico encourages Gyurcsany to start a
normal dialogue with him, including standard European issues.
(NOTE: Embassy Budapest reports that Rep. Lantos passed
this message to PM Gyurcsany in Budapest the same evening.
Gyurcsany responded that while he did not want to blow the
issue out of proportion, he had to address it head-on. It
appears the two leaders may meet in Slovakia in mid-October.
END NOTE.)

LANTOS-KUBIS PRESS CONFERENCE
-----------------------------

5. (U) Rep. Lantos and FM Kubis followed-up their meeting
with a joint press conference at the MFA. The Congressman

BRATISLAVA 00000750 002.2 OF 002

condemned the recent attack against an ethnic Hungarian woman
in Nitra for speaking Hungarian on her cell phone, though
noting that such racial attacks take place around the world.
He remarked that Slovak-Hungarian tensions paled in
comparison to global issues such as terrorism. Kubis
announced that the GOS had zero tolerance for extremism and
noted the strong bilateral relationship that Slovakia and the
U.S. share. The Slovak media reported objectively on the
Congressman's statements.

6. (SBU) Rep. Lantos commented during the press conference,
in response to a reporter's question, that he might consider
submitting a resolution to Congress to censure the Slovak
government for its choice to include SNS. However, he later
told Ambassador Vallee, "I'm leaning against it." SMK
Chairman Bela Bugar told the Ambassador on Sept. 5 that such
a resolution would not help the ethnic Hungarian cause in
Slovakia at this time, but rather could inflame tensions
further.

IRAQ AND LEBANON
----------------

7. (SBU) Rep. Lantos encouraged Slovakia to assume its place
in global issues and briefed on his recent visit to Lebanon
and Israel. He thanked Slovakia for its current
participation in various trouble spots, then urged his
interlocutors to consider extending the Slovak presence in
Iraq and offer a more robust contribution to forces in
Lebanon. In response, officials promised that Slovakia is
not leaving Iraq, but is re-evaluating the shape of its
participation to ensure that its troops are used effectively.
The Slovak scale-down will be done in coordination with the
U.S. and Iraq. As a sign of the consultative process, FM
Kubis pointed out that the Iraqi FM will be in Bratislava on
September 8.

8. (SBU) Defense Minister Kasicky noted that Slovakia already
sends 3.75 percent of its armed forces abroad, a higher
figure than other EU contributors. The country's involvement
in Lebanon is three-fold: helping refugees get to Cyprus
during the conflict, providing observers in UNDOF on the
Israeli-Syrian border, and planning post-conflict
participation in the form of a mobile surgical team and
humanitarian aid.

VISA WAIVER QUESTIONS
---------------------

9. (SBU) FM Kubis directly requested that the U.S. change its
visa policy with regards to Slovakia, i.e., include Slovakia
in the Visa Waiver Program. The visa question also came up
during the press conference and at the meeting with the
Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Lantos stated
firmly that in the consideration of convenience for one's
friends versus the safety of one's citizens, the latter wins
out. He disagreed with the so-called "Polish amendment"
method of applying a separate standard for one country to
join VWP and promised that Congress would look at the issue
again after the current recess.
SILVERMAN

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