AMBASSADOR'S SEPTEMBER 22 MEETING WITH CHANCELLOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 003157 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV AU EUN SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S SEPTEMBER 22 MEETING WITH CHANCELLOR SCHUESSEL -- AUSTRIA STILL CALLS FOR CLEAR LANGUAGE ON TURKEY REF: A. (A) STATE 174901 ¶B. (B) VIENNA 2994 ¶C. (C) VIENNA 2944 ¶D. (D) VIENNA 2827 ¶E. (E) VIENNA 2752 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador W.L. Lyons Brown. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Brown paid his farewell call on Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel on September 22. Discussion focussed on Austrian views of Croatian and Turkish accession to the European Union. Schuessel thanked the Ambassador profusely for his work in Austria over the last four years. End Summary. -------------- Croatia -------------- ¶2. (C) Schuessel said it was important to Austria that the EU begin accession talks with Croatia. Croatia is the Balkan country most ready to start the accession process, and this was the beginning of the process of bringing stability to the region. This was very much in the interest of the U.S., he said. In the end, Schussel said, it was hard for Austrians, who knew Croatia well and had long cultural, ethnic and commercial ties to that country, to understand how accession talks could begin with Turkey before there was any prospect of them beginning with Croatia. However, Schuessel confirmed that Austria sought no conditionality between the start of the Turkish talks and the beginning of the accession process with Croatia. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador pointed out that there was no great disagreement between Austria and the United States on the strategic importance of Croatia. However, the fact was that Croatia had flaunted the international community's call for justice by hiding Ante Gotovina for years. If Croatia had changed its position, it would have to show this to the world, and that should mean that Gotovina went to the Hague for trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Schuessel indicated that he was in communication with the British presidency on a way forward. -------------- Turkey -------------- ¶4. (C) The Ambassador said it was important to understand Austria's position on the start of the EU's accession negotiations with Turkey. We understood from Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik's discussion with the Secretary in Washington (ref a) that Austria would not veto the start of negotiations with Turkey on October 3, and would not link Turkey and Croatia. Schuessel said it was important to improve the language in the negotiating framework. Clearly, Schuessel said, the goal of the talks is full EU membership for Turkey. However, if this is "not possible," there should be a fall back position. The Ambassador acknowledged that Plassnik had spelled this out in her letter to British Foriegn Secretary Straw (ref c). We were all aware, the Ambassador said, that public opinion in Austria and other countries opposed Turkish membership in the EU. However, there should be no suggestion that Austria would block the start of talks on October 3. The Ambassador noted that Turkey had made huge progress in reforms because of its desire to enter the EU. The continuation of Turkey's reform process, and the stability membership in the EU would bring, were of tremendous strategic importance. Schuessel acknowledged these points, but highlighted continuing human rights problems in Turkey. ¶5. (C) Note: The Austrian press has highlighted the fact that Austria now stands alone in maintaining reservations concerning the start of talks on October 3. The spokesperson of the Austrian mission to the EU has said, as Plassnik had done earlier, that it is "one against 24." The British presidency will reportedly enter into bilateral talks with Austria on Monday, September 26. One Austrian journalist wrote, "Austria's maneuvers in Brussels are meant for the domestic policy stage." Be that as it may, Schuessel was unwilling to tip his hand just yet on his negotiating strategy. End note. -------------- Meeting Requests -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In a discussion with the Ambassador, the Chancellor indicated his understanding for the fact that he had not yet received answers to his requests for a meeting with the President in December and for a date for the U.S.-EU Summit. Brown