AUSTRIA AGREES WITH U.S. ON G-4 FRAMEWORK

UNCLAS VIENNA 002314 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KUNR AU UNSC SUBJECT: AUSTRIA AGREES WITH U.S. ON G-4 FRAMEWORK RESOLUTION ON UN REFORM REF: A. (A) STATE 126870 ¶B. (B) VIENNA 2252 ¶C. (C) VIENNA 2247 ¶1. The Ambassador outlined U.S. concerns regarding the G-4 framework resolution (ref a) with MFA Secretary General Johannes Kyrle, who participated in the Ambassador's July 1 discussion with Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik on UN reform (ref b). Kyrle said his government agreed that UNSC expansion should not be the first item on the reform agenda and should not be considered ahead of the other important reform issues. Kyrle said Austria would consider Security Council expansion but that the issue required more serious reflection and the Austrians had not yet developed a position. The G-4 proposal was premature. ¶2. Mentioning that he was going shortly to a meeting of his 25 EU counterparts in Bratislava at which the subject of UN reform would be discussed, Kyrle promised to raise the U.S. concerns on the G-4 proposal. Brown