Slovenia said it would not join US in condemning Zimbabwe

Slovenia’s Minister for International Development Ales Verdir told the United States that though Slovenia appreciated the US’s concerns over Zimbabwe’s chairmanship of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development it was not going to follow the US lead on the level of participation at the CSD’s 16^th meeting.

Slovenia was therefore going to attend the meeting, which was going to be chaired by Zimbabwe’s Environment and Tourism Minister Francis Nhema, at a high level and was going to be represented by its Agriculture Minister, Iztok Jarc.

Verdir said that CSD chairman Francis Nhema had been elected in the National Assembly. It was too early to make the call on his chairmanship and the CSD should not be a victim of the situation in Zimbabwe.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 08LJUBLJANA183, SLOVENIAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER TO ATTEND CSD-16

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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLJ #0183 1131333

ZNR UUUUU ZZH

R 221333Z APR 08

FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6636

INFO RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 0017

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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0187

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000183

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SIPDIS

FOR IP/EDA REBECCA WEBBER AND OES/ENV KERI HOLLAND

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: SENV AORC PREL EAGR EUN EAID ECON SI

SUBJECT: SLOVENIAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER TO ATTEND CSD-16

MEETING

REF: STATE 40180

¶1. (U) On April 21, Emboffs delivered reftel points to MFA

International Development and Humanitarian Assistance

Minister Plenipotentiary, Ales Verdir, who stated that

although Slovenia appreciates U.S. concerns regarding a

Zimbabwean chair of the UN Commission for Sustainable

Development (CSD), it will not follow the U.S. lead on the

level of participation at the May 5 – 16 CSD meeting. Verdir

noted that the EU shares U.S. concerns with the election

process in Zimbabwe and stated that the GOS wants to

encourage actions that will lead to a democratic end.

However, he said that the EU is a strong supporter of the

CSD, and the outcome of the CSD-16 is very important as it

will form the basis for a resolution to be adopted at the

CSD-17 next year. Therefore, the GOS plans to attend

outreach activities at a high level and will be represented

at the CSD-16 by the Slovenian Agriculture Minister, Iztok

Jarc.

¶2. (U) Verdir added that CSD Chairman Francis Nhema had been

elected in the National Assembly, that it was too early to

make the call on his chairmanship, and that the CSD should

not be a victim of the situation in Zimbabwe. Verdir believed

other EU Member States would plan on sending representatives

to the CSD-16 from the ministerial level as well, noting that

the level of representation by EU members at the EU – Africa

Summit in Lisbon last year had provided clear guidance on the

appropriate level of participation.

COLEMAN

(79 VIEWS)