US embassy cable - 05VIENNA1359

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR USOECD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2015 
TAGS: EFIN, ECON, ETRD, AU, OECD, NATO 
SUBJECT: GOA: OECD MEMBERSHIP FOR RUSSIA PREMATURE 
 
REF: STATE 66309 
 
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips For 
Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
1.  (C) During an April 22 meeting with Econ Unit Chief, 
Ulrike Magloth, Director of International Economic Affairs in 
the Chancellery, stated the GoA agreed that it was premature 
to discuss Russian OECD membership.  The GoA position, 
according to Magloth, tracked closely with USG views 
(reftel).  Magloth added that Prime Minister Schuessel had 
replied to Russian Prime Minister Fradkov's letter, welcoming 
GoR interest in OECD membership.  However, Schuessel 
cautioned that the GoA could not support Russia's bid at the 
moment because of two concerns.  First, Schuessel noted that 
the OECD was procedurally pre-occupied with internal reforms 
at the moment.  Second, Schuessel reportedly urged the GoR to 
demonstrate a higher level of engagement with the OECD. 
Magloth strongly concurred with the USG view that Russia 
needed to broaden and deepen its cooperation with the OECD 
before the OECD member states would consider membership. 
Magloth opined that increased interaction would yield 
substantive results on the policy level, and it would also 
raise the status and understanding of the OECD within Russia. 
 
Brown