APRIL 25 GAERC DEMARCHE: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001326

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2015
TAGS: PREL KPAL IZ LE ZI CG SU AU EUN
SUBJECT: APRIL 25 GAERC DEMARCHE: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

REF: STATE 72185

Classified By: ECONOMIC-POLITICAL COUNSELOR GREGORY E. PHILLIPS
REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Economic-Political Counselor and Pol Unit Chief
delivered reftel demarche on April 20 to Austrian MFA EU
Common Foreign and Security Policy Coordinator Andreas
Riecken. Riecken told us that MFA was in the process or
working out its positions on the draft Council conclusions.
He noted that the PSC had already reached consensus on some
of the topics contained in our points on April 19.


2. (C) LEBANON: Riecken said that it was Austria's
assessment that Prime Minister-designate Mikati, in the midst
of laboring to form a government, was also striving to ensure
that elections take place by the end of May. Riecken hoped
that a new Lebanese government could "take the necessary
steps in the next two weeks."


3. (C) GAZA DISENGAGEMENT: Riecken observed that the
"Gymnich" Foreign Ministers meeting had revealed some
differences in nuance among EU members on disengagement, but
that essentially the EU had the same assessment of the
situation as the U.S. Reform of the Palestinian Authority
was also essential in order to regain momentum in the Peace
Process.


4. (C) TSUNAMI: Riecken told us the Ministers also planned
to discuss a Commission paper on the status of relief efforts.


5. (C) SERBIA/MONTENEGRO: Riecken noted that Serbian
cooperation with ICTY was improving, and helped provide the
basis for the positive decision on feasibility for an
Association and Stabilization Agreement. He said that the
GAERC would take up discussion of a Commission paper on "The
European Future of Kosovo" if the Commission approved it at a
meeting on April 20.


6. (C) CROATIA: Riecken told us that the agenda did not
foresee a discussion of Croatia, and he thought it unlikely
that Austria would raise it under "other business." On the
other hand, he confirmed that MFA had been conducting
discussions with UK diplomats about the mode of operation of
the five-member Task Force on Croatian compliance with ICTY.
The Task Force would discuss on the margins of the GAERC how
to proceed. Talks with Croatia following the April 26
Association Council meeting would focus on what the Croatians
had done and planned to do to reach full compliance with
ICTY. In Austria's view, the EU would need to "make more
concrete" what Croatia is supposed to do to ensure
compliance, especially if it turned out Gotovina were not
physically present in Croatia. Riecken said that Croatia
should demonstrate that it had taken down the informal
networks that support Gotovina.


7. (C) RUSSIA: The GAERC would also prepare for the May 10
EU-Russia summit in Moscow which should conclude the "four
spaces" proposal as a package. As usual, Riecken commented,
"nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."
Brown