DELIVERY TO AUSTRIA OF ORAL MESSAGE FROM THE

S E C R E T VIENNA 002056 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2015 TAGS: PREL IZ SY AU SUBJECT: DELIVERY TO AUSTRIA OF ORAL MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY ON THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON IRAQ SIPDIS REF: A. (A) STATE 114212 ¶B. (B) VIENNA 2036 ¶C. (C) VIENNA 2035 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Carol van Voorst. Reason: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) DCM delivered ref (a) message on June 20 to Austrian Political Director Thomas Mayr-Harting. Mayr-Harting undertook to deliver the contents of the message to the Austrian delegation (Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik and Middle East director Ralph Scheide). ¶2. (S) Mayr-Harting said that Austria agrees with the Secretary's objectives for the conference and officials had SIPDIS planned to handle any contact with the Syrian delegation in Brussels very much as the Secretary urged. ¶3. (SBU) In line with the spirit of the Secretary's message, Mayr-Harting added that Austria was organizing a conference on "Islam in a Pluralistic Society," which it intended to host in Vienna November 14-16. He said FM Plassnik and Amb. Scheide would look for opportunities to raise this with U.S. delegation members in Brussels. Scheide told us separately that President Karzai of Afghanistan has confirmed his attendance, and the Austrians have formally invited President Talabani of Iraq to attend. Talabani maintained firm ties to Austria, Scheide said, and the Austrians thought it likely that he would attend as well. The Austrians see the conference as a further opportunity to demonstrate support for the Afghan and Iraqi governments, in the context of a discussion of overall relations with the Muslim world. They believe a high level U.S. presence would be crucial to the success of the initiative. Brown