US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3672

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 003672 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2015 
 
TAGS: ETRD, IZ, KPAL, PREL, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON THE NOVEMBER 21 EU FOREIGN MINISTERS 
 
MEETING (GAERC) 
 
REF: STATE 208899 
 
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips.  Reaso 
 
ns:  1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (SBU) EconPolCouns delivered reftel demarche to Andreas 
 
Riecken, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's European 
 
Correspondent, on November 17 concerning the November 21 
 
meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations 
 
Committee (GAERC).  Riecken had the following substantive 
 
comments. 
 
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Iraq 
 
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2.  (C) Riecken said the Austrian Foreign Minister would 
 
likely raise an Austrian offer to provide experts in 
 
constitutional and federal law to the Iraqis to assist in the 
 
development of legislation concerning the country's federal 
 
structure.  This was an offer the Austrians had made directly 
 
to the Iraqis on a national basis.  Riecken said Austria 
 
would propose an EU-wide effort in this regard. 
 
3.  (SBU) On debt, Riecken noted that Austria had implemented 
 
the decision to forgive 80 percent of Iraq's debt to Austria. 
 
This figure amounts to approximately one percent of 
 
Austria's GDP. 
 
4.  (C) Regarding the elections, Riecken thought that the EU 
 
would provide financial support to Iraq for the elections, 
 
but was unlikely to send monitors. 
 
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Middle East Peace Process 
 
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5.  (C) The EU will "work hard" to make the Agreement on 
 
Movement and Access work, Riecken said.  The EU will 
 
contribute resources, and will provide personnel by the end 
 
of November.  Nationally, Austria will contribute funds, but 
 
not personnel. 
 
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Ukraine 
 
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6.  (C) Riecken said the GAERC would not discuss Ukraine as 
 
such.  The agenda item concerns preparations for the December 
 
1 EU-Ukraine summit.  Specifically, the GAERC will approve 
 
the Action Plan for Ukraine, the first evaluation of which 
 
would occur under the Austrian presidency. 
 
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Bosnia 
 
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7.  (C) Bosnia will arise in the GAERC under a "Western 
 
Balkans" agenda item.  There will be a longer discussion if 
 
the COREPER currently underway is able to reach a decision on 
 
guidelines for the negotiation of the Stabilization and 
 
Association Agreement with Bosnia.  If the COREPER is unable 
 
to do this, Riecken said, the discussion will be shorter. 
 
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Kosovo 
 
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8.  (C) Riecken said Kosovo was not on the agenda as such. 
 
Bosnia will likely dominate the "Western Balkans" agenda 
 
item, he said.  On the substance of our points, Riecken 
 
agreed on the importance of UN Special Envoy Martti 
 
Ahtisaari's efforts.  Riecken said he understood that 
 
Ahtisaari intended to reach some substantive conclusions on 
 
Kosovo status by the end of 2006.  Riecken said that Austrian 
 
plans for a meeting of Balkan Foreign Ministers during the 
 
March EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Salzburg came in the 
 
context of following up on Thessaloniki, but could help 
 
provide impetus to Ahtisaari's efforts. 
 
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Syria 
 
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9.  (C) Syria is not on the agenda, Riecken said.  He added 
 
that the luncheon discussion will cover Iran, Iraq and the 
 
Middle East Peace Process, and Syria could come up in this 
 
context. 
 
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WTO 
 
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10.. (C) Riecken said the French had insisted on keeping WTO 
 
on the agenda as a forum for "informing" EU countries of the 
 
status of negotiations in Geneva. 
 
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Africa 
 
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11.  (C) Riecken said the agenda included a discussion on the 
 
EU's Africa Strategy.  The Commission, Council Secretariat 
 
and Presidency had developed ideas for a new basis for the 
 
EU's relations with Africa.  The GAERC is supposed to make 
 
the new strategy ready for the European Council to discuss in 
 
December. 
 
VAN VOORST