US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3064

UNCLAS VIENNA 003064 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/VO, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: PREL, CVIS, CMGT, PGOV, FR, IT, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT:  VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: AUSTRIA REQUESTS EXTENSION 
 
REFS: A) STATE 162157  B) PARIS 6169  C) ROME 3038  D) 
 
VIENNA 2987 
 
1.  (SBU) Secretary General Johannes Kyrle (the third- 
 
ranking MFA official) raised the issue of the Visa Waiver 
 
Program (VWP) as the first order of business in his 
 
meeting with visiting EUR PDAS Kurt Volker.  In a follow- 
 
up to Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik's pointed comments 
 
to Ambassador and DCM on September 7 (ref D), as well as 
 
the FM's meeting with Secretary Rice on September 9, 
 
Kyrle noted that a requirement that Austrian citizens 
 
with passports issued after October 26 apply for visas 
 
would create significant domestic political problems for 
 
Chancellor Schuessel's government and place a burden on 
 
U.S.-Austrian relations at a sensitive time. 
 
2.  (SBU) On the positive side, Kyrle said that Austria 
 
expected to be able to issue fully compliant passports - 
 
with both a digital photo and a biometric microchip - by 
 
March 2006.  However, his Interior Ministry colleagues 
 
had informed him that Austria could not possibly meet the 
 
October 26, 2005 deadline for digitized photos. 
 
3.  (SBU) In view of Austria moving to full Level 2 
 
compliance months before the deadline, Kyrle said, 
 
Austria would enormously appreciate it if the U.S. 
 
administration would ensure that Austria could continue 
 
to participate fully in the VWP during the intervening 
 
time (until March 2006).  Kyrle assured us that Austria 
 
would also provide full cooperation on information- 
 
sharing regarding lost and stolen passports and other 
 
passport security issues.  Kyrle added that ForMin 
 
Plassnik would be writing to Secretary Rice asking for 
 
her help in obtaining an extension of the deadline for 
 
Level I compliance. 
 
4.  (SBU) PDAS Volker responded that Secretaries Chertoff 
 
and Rice would be the appropriate recipients of such a 
 
request.  Given the legislative history of the biometric 
 
requirement, however, he anticipated that it would be 
 
difficult to persuade the U.S. Congress of the 
 
desirability of further extensions.  Volker and 
 
Ambassador Brown urged the GoA to prepare public 
 
information campaigns about the coming changes to the 
 
Visa Waiver Program, along with actions to mitigate the 
 
impact.  For example, it might be possible for parliament 
 
to amend Austria's passport laws to permit extensions of 
 
expiring passports.  The government could also actively 
 
encourage prospective travelers to apply for new 
 
passports for issuance before the October 26 deadline. 
 
BROWN