EUFOR-ALTHEA: AUSTRIA TO ASSUME COMMAND OF "TASK

UNCLAS VIENNA 002130

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR PM, SA/PAB, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PREL KPKO AU BK NATO EUN
SUBJECT: EUFOR-ALTHEA: AUSTRIA TO ASSUME COMMAND OF "TASK
FORCE NORTH" BY DECEMBER 2005

REFS: A) VIENNA 1966 B) VIENNA 1895

This message is sensitive but unclassified.

1.(SBU) Austrian Defense Minister Platter (OVP) announced
June 24 that Austria will assume the command of the Tuzla-
based "Task Force North" within EUFOR's "Althea" mission
by December 2005. In this capacity, Austria will be
responsible for 1,650 soldiers and 500 civilians for the
period of one year. Austria will succeed Finland in this
role.


2. (SBU) Platter stressed that Austria's upcoming
leadership role in EUFOR's "Althea" mission demonstrated
Vienna's ongoing commitment to southeastern Europe, which
he called a focus area of Austrian foreign and security
policy. Austria was interested in stability and peace in
the region since both Austria and the EU profited from
it. In this context Platter noted that the current army
reform at home allowed Austria to assume "even more
responsibilities abroad."


3. Platter noted that Austria currently had 1,220
soldiers in missions abroad, including 300 in Bosnia, 550
in Kovoso, 370 on the Golan Heights, and a contingent in
Afghanistan (reftels). In the mid-term future, a total of
3,500 soldiers should be available for international
missions, Platter said. He conceded, however, that his
ministry needed to propose new legislation obliging
recruits to serve in international missions, since
existing legislation allowed the army to send soldiers on
a voluntary basis only.

Brown