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.

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Croatia

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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.

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Turkey

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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.

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Meeting Requests

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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