Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA2210
2005-06-30 09:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

AUSTRIAN REACTION TO DEMARCHE ON VENEZUELA

Tags:  PREL PGOV VE AU EUN 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 002210 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/AND AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE AU EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN REACTION TO DEMARCHE ON VENEZUELA

REF: A. (A) STATE 117165


B. (B) BRUSSELS 2481

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips. Reaso
n: 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 002210

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/AND AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV VE AU EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN REACTION TO DEMARCHE ON VENEZUELA

REF: A. (A) STATE 117165


B. (B) BRUSSELS 2481

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips. Reaso
n: 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) EconPolCouns presented reftel points on June 29 to
Andreas Melan, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's DAS-equivalent
for Latin American affairs.


2. (C) Melan said he had heard nothing about a possible
high-level Venezuelan visit to Europe. He noted that
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik had held a brief
meeting with her Venezuelan counterpart in May during the
EU's Rio Group meeting in Brussels.


3. (C) In general, he said, Austria had little direct
interest, in terms of economic interaction or an expatriate
presence, in Venezuela. Therefore, Austria worked its policy
toward Venezuela through the EU. Melan confirmed that COLAT
and other EU bodies had held detailed discussions on the role
of Hugo Chavez, the state of democracy in Venezuela, possible
efforts to destabilize other countries in Latin America, and
arms purchases, among other issues. In Melan's view, it was
"hard to prove" Venezuelan complicity in destabilization
efforts in the region. The status of democracy in Venezuela
was certainly of concern, he said, but it was too early to
consider Venezuela as having lost its character as a
democracy. Melan called Venezuela's support for Cuba
"disturbing." Venezuela's financial support had allowed
Castro once again to ignore international complaints about
human rights on the island.


4. (C) The question of whether to engage in election
monitoring had arisen again, he noted. The EU had not
accepted Venezuela's invitation to observe the July 2005
parliamentary elections, because Venezuela would not
guarantee that EU monitors could go wherever they wanted.
The same problem was likely to block EU agreement to monitor
the July 2006 elections.


5. (C) More broadly, Austria was already preparing to host
the EU's May 12, 2006 summit meeting with Latin American and
Caribbean countries in Vienna, Melan noted. The Austrians
were already estimating that this would be the largest
diplomatic gathering ever to take place in Vienna. (This is
significant for a city that prides itself on serving as a
diplomatic platform.) The Austrians would accommodate the
event at the new conference facilities at the Prater, he said.
Brown