AFGHANISTAN: BUILDING ON NATO MINISTERIAL -

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000103 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SA/PAB, EUR/RPM AND EUR/AGS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2015 TAGS: MARR PREL AF AU NATO SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: BUILDING ON NATO MINISTERIAL - AUSTRIAN RESPONSE REF: SECSTATE 2743 Classified By: ECONOMIC-POLITICAL COUNSELOR GREGORY E. PHILLIPS REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Embassy delivered reftel demarche to MFA Director for South and Southeast Asia Peter Storer on January 12. We expressed appreciation for Austria's ISAF contributions, and reiterated our hope that Austria would further engage in this important international mission by supporting and/or participating in PRTs. ¶2. (C) Storer responded that the Austrian Defense Ministry was actively considering a temporary deployment in support of parliamentary elections in Afghanistan in summer 2005. We emphasized that any additional Austrian efforts in Afghanistan would surely be welcome. Brown