US embassy cable - 05VIENNA1235

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, EUR/ERA, AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, KWBG, IS, GZ, AU, WB, EUN 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON BUSH-SHARON MEETING AND GAZA 
DISENGAGEMENT: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE 
 
REF: STATE 68063 
 
Classified By: ECONOMIC-POLITICAL COUNSELOR GREGORY E. PHILLIPS 
REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C) EconPolCouns and Pol Unit Chief conveyed reftel 
points to Austrian MFA A/S-equivalent for the Middle East and 
North Africa Ralph Scheide and Israel/Palestine desk officer 
Wolfgang Lapuh on April 14.  Scheide welcomed the President's 
reaffirmation of the road map as the guiding document for the 
Middle East Peace Process.  He underlined the importance of 
an Abbas visit to Washington, saying "Abbas needs to have 
something to show to his people before the July elections" in 
order to keep Palestinian radical groups from gaining 
strength.  Since Gaza disengagement is "a reality in 
progress," Scheide continued, "the real issue is what comes 
next?"  Scheide thought that the appointment of General Ward 
was a positive development, and urged even greater engagement 
on the part of the U.S.  "The EU realizes that without the 
clout of the U.S., no real movement is possible." 
 
2.  (C) In an aside, Scheide asked Lapuh to update the 
briefing paper for Foreign Minister Plassnik for the April 15 
EU Ministerial ("Gymnich")  in light of our information. 
Scheide added that the Middle East Peace Process as such was 
not on the Gymnich agenda, but that Foreign Ministers would 
discuss EU relations with Arab countries.  Scheide observed 
that formal EU statements following Gymnich meetings were the 
exception, and thought it unlikely that the EU would issue a 
statement on developments in Israel and Palestine on this 
occasion. 
Brown