US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3832

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/AR, EUR/ERA, EUR/SCE AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2015 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, YI, BK, AF, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MFA ON DECEMBER EU FOREIGN MINISTERS' 
MEETINGS 
 
REF: STATE 217518 
 
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips 
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Pol Unit chief delivered reftel demarche to Austrian 
MFA Coordinator for EU Common Foreign and Security Policy 
(CFSP) Andreas Riecken on December 2.  We provided (per 
reftel) documents on the Dayton anniversary and the 
President's Iraq policy speech.  In particular, we underlined 
the importance of the EU Commission and member states 
renewing and extending their commitment to help Afghanistan 
through new pledges at the London Conference. 
 
2.  (C) Riecken told us he expected the December 7 informal 
ministers' meeting to be largely taken up with an effort to 
narrow differences over the latest UK proposal for the EU 
seven-year budget framework.  Riecken said that the agenda 
for the December 12 GAERC was still in flux.  The ministers 
would discuss Kosovo over lunch, especially in the context of 
the protection of minorities and religious sites.  The main 
items on the CFSP agenda so far were: 1) a UK proposal for an 
EU strategy on Africa, and 2) ways to defuse the tense 
situation on the Ethiopian-Eritrean border. 
 
3.  (C) Riecken noted that the Balkans would be a strong 
priority for Austria's EU presidency in the first half of 
2006.  The Gymnich informal ministerial in March would focus 
especially on Kosovo; Martti Ahtisaari was  expected to take 
part, along with the UN High Representative for Bosnia.  In 
Riecken's view, many EU incentives for Balkan countries, 
including the various types of association agreements, were 
already engaged to the maximum extent possible at this time. 
However, it was likely that Serbia would want to discuss a 
possible easing of visa requirements for its citizens.  As in 
the case of Russia, the EU would link this to an agreement 
for expedited repatriation from the Schengen area of asylum 
applicants from Serbia, as well any other countries of the 
region that might participate in such a visa facilitation 
regime. 
KILNER