YUSHCHENKO IMPRESSES AUSTRIANS DURING VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 002410

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/15
TAGS: PREL PGOV UP AU EUN
SUBJECT: YUSHCHENKO IMPRESSES AUSTRIANS DURING VISIT


Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Carol van Voorst for reasons
1.5(b) and (d).


1. (U) During a July 12-13 visit to Austria, Ukrainian
President Victor Yushchenko met with Austrian President Heinz
Fischer, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, parliamentary
leaders, and a group of Austrian businessmen. Ukraine's
efforts to integrate more closely with the European Union
featured prominently in all of the meetings. Austrian and
Ukrainian officials said both governments agreed to intensify
cooperation on law enforcement issues, especially money
laundering, corruption, illegal immigration, and drug
trafficking. In exchange for improved Ukrainian attention to
illegal immigration, Yushchenko reportedly asked the EU to
expedite visa issuances for legitimate Ukrainian
businesspeople. The press reported that Yushchenko and
Schuessel discussed strengthening EU-Ukrainian border
security cooperation in the context of Austria's EU
Presidency during the first half of 2006. Ukraine's Naftogas
and the Austrian gas and oil giant, OMV, signed an agreement
allowing for deep-water gas exploration in the Black Sea.


2. (C) During a July 15 meeting with Acting Econ-Pol
Counselor, Josef Litschauer, Head of the MFA's CIS Unit, said
Yushchenko's Austrian interlocutors had been highly impressed
with him. According to Litschauer, Yushchenko did not push
for accelerated EU membership for Ukraine, as some had
expected he would. He told Schuessel that he recognized the
process would be long and that Ukraine "would have to do the
heavy-lifting itself." However, during a press conference,
Foreign Minister Tarasyuk opined that Ukraine would carefully
consider whether to put forward an official accession request
during Austria's EU Presidency.


3. (C) Litschauer noted that under the Austrian EU
Presidency, there would be an initial review of progress on
the EU-Ukrainian Action Plan. The Ukrainians, in
Litschauer's opinion, seemed to understand that the Action
Plan necessitated "a lot of hard work." According to
Litschauer, Yushchenko raised the possibility of Ukraine
receiving market economy status by the end of 2005, which
would be necessary before concluding a free trade agreement
(FTA) with the EU. Yushchenko expressed optimism that the EU
and Ukraine could sign an FTA in 2006.
Brown