US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3011

UNCLAS VIENNA 003011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHA, EUR/PGI AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, EAID, ECON, KSCA, PREL, SOCI, TBIO, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN INTERIM RESPONSE: INTERNATIONAL 
PARTNERSHIP ON AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA 
 
REF: STATE 164134 
 
1.  On September 8, DCM delivered reftel talking points on 
the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza 
(IPAPI) to Clemens Auer, the Minister of Health's Chief of 
Staff.  Auer thanked the USG for promoting increased 
cooperation on avian and pandemic influenza.  Auer said 
Austria agreed with the message in the Statement of Core 
Principles.  However, he added that Austria would prefer that 
the EU, which has already done considerable coordination on 
the issue, represent all the Member States in the IPAPI.  He 
strongly recommended that the USG work closely with the 
Commission on this initiative.  Auer promised to raise the 
issue with Health Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat and to 
coordinate with the MFA on a response to the USG initiative. 
 
2.  In a September 7 discussion with Pol Unit Chief, Helmut 
Boeck, the MFA's Acting Assistant-Secretary for International 
Organizations, also welcomed the initiative.  However, Boeck 
requested more details regarding the proposed announcement of 
the partnership at the UNGA, especially concerning the 
appropriate political level for such an announcement. 
Brown