US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3762

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 003762 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, AU 
SUBJECT: EUR A/S FRIED'S MEETINGS WITH AUSTRIAN OFFICIALS 
-- NOVEMBER 15, 2005 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Carol van Voorst.  Reason:  1.4 (b) an 
d (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  In discussions with Austrian 
interlocutors, EUR Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried outlined 
the strategic agenda for U.S. engagement with the Austrian EU 
Presidency.  Most of our work concerns areas outside the EU. 
One key is the "frontiers of freedom" in Europe in an area 
analagous to the European part of the EU's New Neighborhood 
Policy.  The Austrians said the Balkans are a foreign policy 
priority.  Fried said the Broader Middle East is also key. 
The Austrian conference on "Islam in a Pluralistic World" was 
an important contribution.  Fried called for common action on 
Iran.  On China, the Austrians said they would not take the 
lead on the arms embargo.  On Turkey, Fried and his 
interlocutors agreed that accession talks should proceed 
automatically.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) On November 15, A/S Fried met with Austrian 
Chancellery Diplomatic Advisor Hans-Peter Manz, MFA State 
Secretary Hans Winkler, MFA Secretary General Johannes Kyrle, 
 
SIPDIS 
and MFA Political Director Thomas Mayr-Harting on the margins 
of the Austrian-sponsored conference on "Islam in a 
Pluralistic World."  (Septel reports on the conference, 
including A/S Fried's remarks.) 
 
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Austria's EU Presidency/U.S.-EU Agenda 
-------------------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) A/S Fried told his counterparts that it is important 
to set the agenda for Austria's European Union Presidency. 
The larger strategic agenda for the U.S. and Europe focusses 
on areas outside the EU, including the Broader Middle East, 
Iran, Belarus, the Caucasus, and Ukraine.  We should focus on 
results. 
 
4.  (C) In response to Mayr-Harting's invitation to a 
Political Directors' meeting at Alpbach, Tirol on January 11, 
2006, Fried said he would attend. 
 
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"Frontiers of Freedom" 
---------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Fried said the U.S.-EU strategic agenda includes what 
we are calling the "frontiers of freedom" -- the Balkans, 
Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the South Caucasus, 
and, in a different context, Russia.  The EU's New 
Neighborhood Policy was one of the smartest strategic moves 
the EU has made in years, he said.  Europe has interests in 
the neighborhood, just as Russia does, and neither has a 
monopoly. 
 
6.  (C) Fried said we need to support and push Ukrainian 
reform, helping the Ukrainians focus on their strategic 
direction.  The EU cannot give Ukraine a firm prospect of EU 
membership -- the Ukrainians have to earn it -- but the EU 
should not slam the door on them.  We need to coordinate on 
frozen conflicts, as well.  There was a lot of talk in Russia 
about places they called "unrecognized states" -- a dubious 
concept.  We will not accept the creeping annexation of 
former Soviet lands. 
 
7.  (C) Mayr-Harting said maintaining Belarussian 
independence will be a key achievement.  Fried said no 
referendum on union would be free -- it would really be an 
annexation.  Fried said we should think about a joint mission 
to Minsk to deliver a message to Lukashenko.  The message had 
to be clear, and has to say there are consequences if 
Lukashenko steals the election.  Rather than preserving 
programs and access, we should look for ways to advance 
freedom. 
 
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Balkans 
------- 
 
8.  (C) Winkler said the Balkans will be the Austrian 
presidency's foreign policy priority.  Austria will invite 
Balkan foreign ministers to a meeting during the EU Foreign 
Ministers' meeting in Salzburg in March.  The Interior 
Minister will also invite counterparts from the countries of 
the New Neighborhood Policy to an Interior Ministers' meeting 
in Vienna in May.  Providing a European perspective to the 
Balkans is important for reform. 
 
9.  (C) Fried said Martti Ahtissari, the Special 
Representative of the UN Secretary General, does not want to 
let 2006 pass without decisions on the status of Kosovo.  We 
need to make clear to the Kosovars that they need to earn 
their independence.  Mayr-Harting said Austria wants an 
important NATO role in the Balkans.  The U.S. has the 
greatest leverage, especially on the Kosovar Albanians. 
Fried said that the fact that Austria has troops in the 
Balkans -- numbering almost 1000, with some 600 in Kosovo and 
over 300 in Bosnia -- with no caveats is important. 
 
10.  (C) Fried said the Croatians could not simply go through 
the motions of pretending to go after Ante Gotovina.  There 
cannot be different rules for Croatia than there are for 
Serbia.  Manz said Chancellor Schuessel is in frequent 
contact with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on this 
issue. 
 
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Middle East 
----------- 
 
11.  (C) The U.S.-EU strategic agenda includes reform in the 
Broader Middle East, Fried said.  Austria's conference on 
"Islam in a Pluralistic World" was extremely impressive.  The 
presence of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Afghanistan 
President Hamid Karzai was powerful.  Austrian Foreign 
Minister Ursula Plassnik's statement was a clear statement of 
the obligation to help Iraq and Afghanistan. 
 
12.  (C) Mayr-Harting said he visited Iraq with an EU troika 
group.  The constitution seemed so decentralized as to raise 
questions of its workability.  He asked whether it would be 
useful for Austria to provide experts to help Iraq develop 
federal mechanisms. 
 
13.  (C) Fried said the Iranians are apparently not 
interested in a settlement on the nuclear issue.  It will be 
hard to take the issue to the UN Security Council.  Manz said 
it will not be easy if Russia and China resist, but the EU 
had agreed to support it.  Fried pointed out that President 
Putin wants the G-8 Summit to be a success, and might 
therefore show flexibility. 
 
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China 
----- 
 
14.  (C) On the China Arms Embargo, it was important that the 
U.S. and EU had started a strategic dialogue on China and on 
Asia in general, Fried said.  Opposition to a lift of the 
embargo had united all elements in Washington.  Kyrle said 
Austria would not be in front on the China arms embargo. 
 
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Turkey 
------ 
 
15.  (C) Fried said the negotiations for Turkish accession to 
the EU are on track, and the burden is now on the Turks. 
Turkish accession is at least ten years away, and both Turkey 
and the EU will be different places then than they are now. 
Austria should just let the process take its course.  Manz 
said, "Don't worry about the Austrian Presidency." 
 
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Chancellor Schuessel's December 8 Visit to Washington 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
16.  (C) Fried said Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's December 
8 visit to Washington will be a good occasion to outine the 
framework of U.S.-European relations.  The President will 
want to talk about issues beyond the EU.  The outward focus 
is critical to us. 
VAN VOORST