US embassy cable - 05VIENNA2410

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 002410 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/15 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, UP, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT: YUSHCHENKO IMPRESSES AUSTRIANS DURING VISIT 
 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Carol van Voorst for reasons 
1.5(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U) During a July 12-13 visit to Austria, Ukrainian 
President Victor Yushchenko met with Austrian President Heinz 
Fischer, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, parliamentary 
leaders, and a group of Austrian businessmen.  Ukraine's 
efforts to integrate more closely with the European Union 
featured prominently in all of the meetings.  Austrian and 
Ukrainian officials said both governments agreed to intensify 
cooperation on law enforcement issues, especially money 
laundering, corruption, illegal immigration, and drug 
trafficking.  In exchange for improved Ukrainian attention to 
illegal immigration, Yushchenko reportedly asked the EU to 
expedite visa issuances for legitimate Ukrainian 
businesspeople.  The press reported that Yushchenko and 
Schuessel discussed strengthening EU-Ukrainian border 
security cooperation in the context of Austria's EU 
Presidency during the first half of 2006.  Ukraine's Naftogas 
and the Austrian gas and oil giant, OMV, signed an agreement 
allowing for deep-water gas exploration in the Black Sea. 
 
2.  (C) During a July 15 meeting with Acting Econ-Pol 
Counselor, Josef Litschauer, Head of the MFA's CIS Unit, said 
Yushchenko's Austrian interlocutors had been highly impressed 
with him.  According to Litschauer, Yushchenko did not push 
for accelerated EU membership for Ukraine, as some had 
expected he would.  He told Schuessel that he recognized the 
process would be long and that Ukraine "would have to do the 
heavy-lifting itself."  However, during a press conference, 
Foreign Minister Tarasyuk opined that Ukraine would carefully 
consider whether to put forward an official accession request 
during Austria's EU Presidency. 
 
3.  (C) Litschauer noted that under the Austrian EU 
Presidency, there would be an initial review of progress on 
the EU-Ukrainian Action Plan.  The Ukrainians, in 
Litschauer's opinion, seemed to understand that the Action 
Plan necessitated "a lot of hard work."  According to 
Litschauer, Yushchenko raised the possibility of Ukraine 
receiving market economy status by the end of 2005, which 
would be necessary before concluding a free trade agreement 
(FTA) with the EU.  Yushchenko expressed optimism that the EU 
and Ukraine could sign an FTA in 2006. 
Brown