US embassy cable - 05VIENNA39

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR, EAID, PGOV, XO, AU 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHES TO AUSTRIA:  USG CALL FOR DONOR SUPPORT 
TO TSUNAMI VICTIMS AND GOALS FOR JANUARY 11 UNOCHA TSUNAMI 
DONOR CONFERENCE 
 
REF: A. (A) STATE 3792 
 
     B. (B) STATE 959 
     C. (C) 04 VIENNA 4455 AND PREVIOUS 
 
This message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
1.  (U) The Ambassador presented refs (a) and (b) demarches 
on January 7 to Foreign Ministry Secretary General (Deputy 
Secretary equivalent) Johannes Kyrle.  Kyrle broke out of a 
 
SIPDIS 
tsunami strategy meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, 
 
SIPDIS 
Interior and Defense in order to see the Ambassador.  Foreign 
Minister Plassnik was going to leave momentarily for an EU 
meeting in Brussels on the topic.  On the January 11 meeting 
in Geneva, the Ambassador reviewed ref (a) points outlining 
key U.S. goals for the meeting. 
 
----------------------------- 
Austrian Relief Contributions 
----------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) Kyrle listed the following contributions to disaster 
relief and reconstruction: 
 
--  The Austrian federal government's pledge of eight million 
euros "was doubled" by the state governments.  (Note:  In 
addition, Austrian private sector contributions total some 18 
million euros.  End note.) 
 
--  An Austrian military contingent has deployed to Sri 
Lanka, and has taken up contact with the U.S. forces in 
Galle.  The Austrian unit, from the NBC (nuclear, biological 
and chemical warfare unit), will provide water purification 
systems which can serve some 40,000 people per day.  The unit 
will remain four to six weeks, with a possibility of 
prolonging the mission, if needed.  There are also demining 
experts in the Austrian contingent from the Austrian 
deminingj school in Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria.  The 
Austrian military contingent also includes logistics experts, 
at the request of the UN.  Kyrle said the Austrians have been 
asked to name a liaison officer to the U.S. forces in Sri 
Lanka. 
 
--  As one of six net payers in the EU, Austria is 
responsible for part of any EU contribution. 
 
------------------- 
Austrian Casualties 
------------------- 
 
3.  (U) The Austrian MFA estimates that there were 5,296 
Austrians in the affected region.  The MFA confirmed the 
welfare of some 4,800 in the first week after the disaster. 
Some 480 remain missing, of which 300 were in Thailand and 
Sri Lanka.  In Thailand, the Austrians think there were heavy 
Austrian casualties in two hotels, the Sofitel and the Sea 
View, which catered mainly to Austrians, Germans and Swedes. 
 
4.  (U) The Austrian government has repatriated all the 
Austrians who wanted to come back.  This included 70 injured, 
some of whom required medical attention on the aircaft. 
Kyrle mentioned that Austria used Austrian Airlines (AUA) 
planes for transport, outfitting them with medical teams and 
equipment to permit even surgery to occur during the flight. 
For the time being, only two injured Austrians remain in 
Bangkok hospitals, and Austrian doctors are present to give 
them clearance to travel back to Austria. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
EU Consular Coordination (or lack thereof) 
------------------------------------------ 
 
5.  (SBU) The normally placid Kyrle complained in rather 
bitter terms about the lack of consular coordination among EU 
member states in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. 
Austria pressed hard for mutual consular assistance among EU 
states after the disaster struck, but met very little 
success.  Only Sweden and Germany were "somewhat positive," 
while others, especially the UK, objected.  The result was 
that Austria, with diplomatic representation only in Bangkok, 
Delhi, Kuala Lampur and Jakarta, had to send 200 officers to 
the region.  Kyrle said the EU itself, which has its own 
representation in the region, did not even reply to Austrian 
requests for assistance until a full week after the diaster. 
The EU representation in Bangkok, with a staff of 85 people 
and an Austrian at its head, had no orders to intervene on 
behalf of any member state, Kyrle said.  The draft EU 
constitution speaks of mutual assistance in the development 
of a common EU foreign service, and the Austrians had always 
touted EU membership as an opportunity to get assistance in 
such disasters.  However, in the event, "each EU member was 
on its own," he said.  The most direct contacts Austria had 
were with Switzerland -- not even an EU member. 
 
6.  (SBU) Foreign Minister Plassnik was going to make this a 
primary topic in the January 7 meeting in Brussels, Kyrle 
promised. 
 
---------------------------- 
January 11 Meeting in Geneva 
---------------------------- 
 
7.  (U) Austria would "of course" send people to the January 
11 meeting in Geneva, although Kyrle was not prepared to 
announce names.  Kyrle said that the Austrian government 
would meet again on Sunday, January 9, to take stock of 
Austria's position. 
Brown