AUSTRIA SUPPORTS CONCLUSION OF COMPREHENSIVE

UNCLAS VIENNA 002347 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER AU UNGA SUBJECT: AUSTRIA SUPPORTS CONCLUSION OF COMPREHENSIVE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM (CCIT) REF: A. (A) STATE 127272 ¶B. (B) VIENNA 2252 ¶C. (C) VIENNA 2247 ¶1. EconPolCouns delivered ref (a) demarche on July 12 to Helmut Tichy, the DAS-level head of the Austrian Foreign Ministry's Legal Division. Tichy's deputy, Michael Postl, is Austria's negotiator on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terorrism (CCIT). ¶2. Tichy said Austria supports the U.S. desire to conclude the CCIT as soon as possible, and agrees with the U.S. position on the specific issue of the treatment of activities of military forces. Tichy undertook to ensure that the Austrian delegation in New York was aware of U.S. views and would work toward agreement. ¶3. Tichy expressed some surprise at our timeline. Recent discussions in New York on the CCIT had pointed toward action at next April's Working Group meeting. He said, however, that Austria was very much in favor of an agreement in time for the September High Level Event (HLE). Brown