US embassy cable - 05VIENNA2670

UNCLAS VIENNA 002670 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/ERA, EUR/SE AND INR/EU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ECIN, AL, BK, HR, MK, RO, SR, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT:  AUSTRIA HOSTS 4TH INFORMAL BALKANS SUMMIT 
 
 
1.  Summary:  The Austrian Government and the Stability 
 
Pact for Southeastern Europe hosted leaders from six 
 
southeastern European countries from 2-3 August for the 
 
4th informal "Balkans Summit."  Participants discussed 
 
the region's expectations for EU membership, establishing 
 
a common trade zone (an expanded CEFTA), encouraging more 
 
direct investment, and intensifying regional cooperation 
 
in law enforcement and humanitarian areas.  Austria 
 
promised to make rapprochement between the EU and 
 
southeastern Europe a permanent theme during its upcoming 
 
EU Presidency in the first half of 2006.  Austrian 
 
Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik reiterated Austria's 
 
strong support for Croatian EU membership.  End Summary. 
 
2.  Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel and Foreign 
 
Minister Ursula Plassnik welcomed Prime Ministers from 
 
Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia 
 
and Montenegro to the 4th informal Balkans Summit on 
 
August 2-3, 2005.  Stability Pact Coordinator (and former 
 
Austrian Vice-Chancellor) Erhard Busek also attended the 
 
gathering.  According to Schuessel and press reporting, 
 
discussion focused on EU membership perspectives for the 
 
countries of the region and expectations of support from 
 
the Austrian EU Presidency during the first half of 2006. 
 
The ministers also discussed creating a free trade zone 
 
by expanding the Central European Free Trade Agreement 
 
(CEFTA), increasing incentives to attract more direct 
 
investment, and intensifying regional cooperation in the 
 
areas of law enforcement and humanitarian relief. 
 
3.  Foreign Minister Plassnik promised to make EU 
 
perspectives for southeastern European countries "a 
 
permanent theme" of Austria's EU presidency in 2006.  In 
 
this context, Macedonian PM Vlado Buckovski said, "it is 
 
important that during Austria's EU Presidency the door 
 
toward Europe be pushed open for all Balkan countries." 
 
Plassnik left no doubt about Austria's strong support for 
 
Croatian EU membership, emphasizing that "Croatia's path 
 
to EU membership serves as a model for its neighbors in 
 
the region."  Croatian PM Ivo Sanader underlined his 
 
country's request to begin accession talks with the EU as 
 
soon as possible. 
 
4.  EU Stability Pact Coordinator Busek highlighted the 
 
economic progress of the region, noting that trade in the 
 
region has doubled since the end of armed conflicts in 
 
the area.  Chancellor Schuessel said the meeting was also 
 
about the "reinvention of Europe," a process in which 
 
"countries of the region would find their place in Europe 
 
again after a turbulent past." 
 
van Voorst