AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH AUSTRIAN FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 002252 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV KUNR AORC AU UNSC SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER URSULA PLASSNIK, JULY 1, 2005 REF: A. (A) STATE 111657 ¶B. (B) STATE 118559 Classified By: Ambassador W.L. Lyons Brown. Reason: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Foreign Minister Plassnik told Ambassador Brown that Austria strongly agreed with the U.S. on the need to reform and strengthen the UN. In particular, Austria supports increased emphasis on rule of law issues as the key to ensuring stability in developing countries, sees a need to establish a mechanism to fill in post-conflict gaps, and agrees that the Commission on Human Rights must be remodeled and redesigned. On other issues, Plassnik said that her goals for the EU presidency focused on pressing for positive developments in the Balkans and the Middle East. The Foreign Minister said that she would coordinate with colleagues in other ministries to find additional contributions for the Polio Eradication Initiative (ref b). End Summary. -------------- UN Reform -------------- ¶2. (C) Noting that the Secretary considered the issue of front-rank importance, the Ambassador outlined the seven U.S. priorities for the reform process (development; reform of the Commission on Human Rights; democracy initiatives and the Democracy Fund; Budget, Management and Administrative Reform; the Peacebuilding commission; adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism; and Security Council Reform (ref a). (Note: Septel reports a detailed discussion of these themes with Austria's UN expert, Walter Lichem. End Note.) On development, Plassnik said that Austria recognized that Official Development Assistance (ODA) was only one of various kinds of development assistance, and understood and appreciated the U.S. role in channeling financial flows to needy countries. However, her government strongly supported the concept of jointly-agreed national official assistance targets. Austria had worked very hard within EU experts, and ministers, meetings to develop a common position on sensible targets for official aid. She was pleased that Austria,s national commitment of 0.51 percent of GDP by 2009 exceeded the current EU goal for the wealthier EU states. She expected this figure to increase. On democracy initiatives, Plassnik said that recent discussions she had had with counterparts from developing nations had strongly impressed on her the need to push human rights and good governance concerns as a fundamental part of international development efforts. As example after example demonstrated, rule of law was the basis for foreign investment and economic development. ¶3. (C) Without going into details of what Austria was looking for, Plassnik said that Austria agreed that the Human Rights Commission was in dire need of remodeling and a new design. UNGA President Ping had told her during a June 8 visit to Austria that he was quite optimistic about the prospects for positive institutional change. On the Peacebuilding Commission, Plassnik was enthusiastic, noting the organizational gap in management of post-conflict regions. Austria, heavily involved in the Balkans, was especially sensitive to the need to improve international management capabilities for the period following the withdrawal of peacekeeping troops. Plassnik noted that the EU had discussed the issue at the expert level. ¶4. (C) On Security Council reform, the Foreign Minister observed wryly that Austria found itself next to a neighbor with a firm idea on what it wanted. She said Austria,s position was to be coherent with the long term outcome ) i.e., it was clear that the EU would eventually speak with one voice from a Security Council seat. Germany shared the long-term goal but wished for a short-term fix as well. Plassnik said she hoped this issue would not bog down in the Council and that she was trying to focus public attention on other areas of necessary UN reform. -------------- EU Presidency Themes -------------- ¶5. (C) EU Presidency Themes: The ForMin said that two subjects, the Balkans and the Middle East, had preoccupied her during the first six months of her tenure, and she saw both of these as centerpieces of the Austrian EU presidency in 2006. She had gone to the Balkans repeatedly, most recently twice in April, and had just returned from a tour of the Middle East, which included discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, Israeli President Moshe Katsev, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. Austria saw the Balkans as key to its own security and the region was thus &of utmost concern8 for Vienna. Austria was involved politically, economically, and militarily in the Balkans, and believed that this region was where Austria could set a positive example of practical international cooperation. Austria was very aware that the Kosovo question would have to be resolved in the not-too-distant future; the Europeans were working on it but it would come up to the UN level before long. She noted that if EU enlargement ran into trouble because of the recent referenda, the Balkan candidates would be the first to be affected. Austria would work with regional groupings to keep the Balkans on the European agenda and to keep the Europeans engaged. For this, they would appreciate U.S. input and support. ¶6. (C) Musing on her June 25-27 visit to the middle East, Plassnik said that the Palestinian elections in January 2006 would present Austria with the first &delicate situation8 of its presidency. The Gaza withdrawal may be a turning point in the region but the impact was not yet clear. The Middle East was an issue not well understood by the European publics and Austria would attempt to focus more on this issue. Plassnik said that in her recent swing through the region she had been impressed by what she had been told by both parties about the U.S. commitment and particularly about the interest, involvement, and commitment of the Secretary. Plassnik had been told by Palestinian leaders such as President Abbas that they welcome increased U.S. attention to their issues and support for their concerns. Plassnik said her meetings with Senior U.S. Security Coordinator Lieutenant General Kip Ward and with Jim Wolfensohn, the Middle East Quartet's special envoy to oversee Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, convinced her that both were doing excellent work. They were experienced and knew what they wanted to get. In Palestine, she thought that rule of law projects were extremely important so that Prime Minister Qurei fulfilled his reconstruction promises to the people. Austria wanted to help in this area. -------------- Visit to U.S. -------------- ¶7. (C) The Ambassador asked Plassnik to be patient and flexible regarding the timing and venue of her requested early September visit to the U.S. to meet with the Secretary. The weeks around the UNGA meeting are always hectic and very full for the Secretary. Plassnik said she understood the Secretary,s scheduling imperatives and time limitations but SIPDIS hoped she and the Secretary should meet for a serious discussion well in advance of Austria,s takeover of the EU presidency. The Ambassador noted a busy schedule of Austrian visitors to the U.S. this fall ) the President, Chancellor, and MFA, Interior, and Defense ministers all are interested in visiting before Christmas. (Note: we now understand that Economics Minister Bartenstein also hopes to visit this fall. End note.) -------------- D/CIA Visit -------------- ¶8. (C) The Ambassador briefed Plassnik on D/CIA Goss, June 22 visit to Vienna and the Director's discussions with Interior Minister Prokop and Defense Minister Platter. -------------- - Austrian Military Contributions to Afghanistan -------------- - ¶9. (C) The Ambassador thanked Plassnik for Austria,s contribution of up to a hundred troops for Afghanistan elections this fall, which will be one of the larger national contingents on the ground. Plassnik remarked that she had been greatly involved in pressing the issue in Parliament. -------------- Polio -------------- ¶10. The Ambassador thanked Plassnik for Austria,s contribution of $100,000 in January to the Polio Eradication Initiative (ref b). He described the continuing need and asked Plassnik for all possible generosity. The minister said she understood the urgency and would discuss the issue with her Minister colleagues. Brown