US embassy cable - 05VIENNA792

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2015 
TAGS: PREL, ETTC, PTER, HR, CH, LE, KPAL, SU, RS, GG, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA ON MARCH 16 EU FOREIGN 
MINISTERS MEETING 
 
REF: A. (A) STATE 39909 
 
     B. (B) STATE 39018 
     C. (C) STATE 34900 
     D. (D) VIENNA 719 
     E. (E) VIENNA 607 
 
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips.  Reaso 
n:  1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (SBU) On March 10, EconPolCouns and Pol Unit Chief 
presented ref (a) points to Andreas Riecken, the Austrian 
Foreign Ministry's new EU Affairs director. 
 
2.  (C) Riecken made the following substantive comments: 
 
--  On the EU's China arms embargo, Riecken said the issue 
was not supposed to arise at the March 16 GAERC.  On the 
substance of the issue, made the now-familiar defense of 
lifting the embargo:  the embargo itself does not stop arms 
sales; a strengthened code of conduct and improved toolbox 
offer the protections we are seeking; there is no desire to 
increase arms sales to China in any event; and, in the 
Austrian case, national restrictions on arms sales would be 
more effective than any EU-wide measures.  We stressed that 
the issue could be a major problem in transatlantic 
relations, especially in view of the strong Congressional 
reaction to any lift.  We pointed out that both the human 
rights situation in China and the regional strategic balance, 
in which the U.S. had a direct stake, argued strongly for 
retaining both the political and practical effects of an 
embargo -- along with other practical measures.  China's 
recent actions and statements, particularly as regards Taiwan 
and Australia, hardly supported softer measures, we pointed 
out. 
 
--  On Croatia, Riecken said that the decision as to whether 
to proceed with accession negotiations was up to the 
ministers.  He pointed out that the decision required 
unanimity, implying that the most strict definition of the 
requirement for Croatia to cooperate with ICTY would prevail. 
 He noted that the March 10 COREPER meeting would be 
important, since the issue was now an enlargement (General 
Affairs) issue as opposed to a CFSP question.  Riecken said 
Austria had some sympathy for the Croatian position, noting 
that Gotovina has a French passport and could well be outside 
Croatia.  However, Riecken said, "Carla del Ponte's position 
counts."  (Note:  During her March 10 visit to Vienna, 
Croatian Foreign Minister Grabar Kotarovic said, "there's no 
available information that shows that Gotovina is in 
Croatia," but Croatia would "continue the search with the 
services of other countries."  She added,  "Croatia's 
responsibility for full cooperation with the Hague court does 
not end" whether or not Gotovina is in the Hague by March 17. 
 Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik pronounced herself 
"confident" that EU countries would come to a consensus to 
begin negotiations with Croatia on March 17.  End note.)  We 
stressed that it was important that the EU hold Croatia to 
the condition that Gotovina be delivered to the Hague. 
 
--  On Sudan, Riecken said there was probably going to be a 
GAERC discussion of ways to support the AU Mission in Sudan 
and provide further assistance.  On the question of a court, 
Riecken said Austria supported the International Criminal 
Court as the most effective instrument.  He said the Austrian 
view was that a UNSC-created court sharing the Rwanda 
tribunal's infrastructure would cost too much.  However, he 
noted that it was the UNSC which would have to decide to 
empower the ICC to address Sudan, and he said he understood 
that it was unlikely that the U.S. would permit that to 
happen. 
 
--  On Russia, Riecken said there were no plans for a GAERC 
discussion of the Moldova and Georgia issues.  There would, 
however, be discussion of the EU's discussion of the "four 
spaces" under its Partnership and Cooperation program with 
Russia. 
 
--  On Syria and Lebanon, Riecken said he understood that 
there would be a discussion on the "Middle East," but he 
acknowledged that it would most likely focus on 
Lebanon/Syria.  We deployed ref (b) and (c) points.  Riecken 
said Austria very much agreed with ref (b)'s call for Syrian 
withdrawal from Lebanon, international observers for 
Lebanon's April elections, and cooperation with the Hariri 
assassination investigation (see ref d for a report of the 
Ambassador's demarche on this issue).  He also reiterated 
that Austria agreed entirely with our call for the EU to list 
Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization (see 
also ref e). 
Brown