AUSTRIAN INTERIM RESPONSE: INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS VIENNA 003011 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHA, EUR/PGI AND EUR/AGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON KSCA PREL SOCI TBIO AU EUN SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN INTERIM RESPONSE: INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP ON AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA REF: STATE 164134 ¶1. On September 8, DCM delivered reftel talking points on the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) to Clemens Auer, the Minister of Health's Chief of Staff. Auer thanked the USG for promoting increased cooperation on avian and pandemic influenza. Auer said Austria agreed with the message in the Statement of Core Principles. However, he added that Austria would prefer that the EU, which has already done considerable coordination on the issue, represent all the Member States in the IPAPI. He strongly recommended that the USG work closely with the Commission on this initiative. Auer promised to raise the issue with Health Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat and to coordinate with the MFA on a response to the USG initiative. ¶2. In a September 7 discussion with Pol Unit Chief, Helmut Boeck, the MFA's Acting Assistant-Secretary for International Organizations, also welcomed the initiative. However, Boeck requested more details regarding the proposed announcement of the partnership at the UNGA, especially concerning the appropriate political level for such an announcement. Brown