Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA3322
2005-10-07 13:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
URGENT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNESCO CULTURAL
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 071351Z Oct 05
UNCLAS VIENNA 003322
SIPDIS
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - CROWLEY AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD OPDC PREL SCUL PHUM AU UNESCO
SUBJECT: URGENT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNESCO CULTURAL
DIVERSITY CONVENTION
REF: A. (A) STATE 184292
B. (B) VIENNA 3246
C. (C) STATE 170909
UNCLAS VIENNA 003322
SIPDIS
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - CROWLEY AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD OPDC PREL SCUL PHUM AU UNESCO
SUBJECT: URGENT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNESCO CULTURAL
DIVERSITY CONVENTION
REF: A. (A) STATE 184292
B. (B) VIENNA 3246
C. (C) STATE 170909
1. Charge delivered the Secretary's letter on the UNESCO Cultural Diversity Convention and presented ref (a) demarche to Austrian Foreign Ministry Secretary General Johnanes Kyrle on October 7. (The Austrian Foreign Minister and State Secretary were out of the country.) Emil Brix, the Austrian MFA's Under Secretary-equivalent for Cultural Affairs, was also present. The Charge stressed U.S. problems with both trade and human rights implications of the Convention.
2. Kyrle and Brix said that EU member states had discussed U.S. views over the past several weeks, and had incorporated many of them into the current draft of the convention. They said they believed that the convention was now better for this process. Brix said the text now reflected concerns about human rights, and was no longer prone to use against cultural diversity.
3. Kyrle said it was important to discuss the matter with the EU Presidency (the United Kingdom). The Presidency was leading discussion in the EU on the convention and would respond on behalf of the EU. Brix noted that the British had worked to develop a compromise text to respond to U.S. concerns.
4. Kyrle said the EU as a whole would have to agree to any postponement of consideration of the Convention. This was "unthinkable" without the agreement of the British, as the Presidency country. Kyrle added that it would be important during the Austrian Presidency (in the first half of 2006) to have a mechanism to deal "preemptively" with this sort of transatlantic disagreement, and expressed his desire to work closely with the U.S.
5. Per ref (a),Charge will pursue the matter with the Austrian Chancellery as well.
van Voorst
SIPDIS
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - CROWLEY AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD OPDC PREL SCUL PHUM AU UNESCO
SUBJECT: URGENT DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNESCO CULTURAL
DIVERSITY CONVENTION
REF: A. (A) STATE 184292
B. (B) VIENNA 3246
C. (C) STATE 170909
1. Charge delivered the Secretary's letter on the UNESCO Cultural Diversity Convention and presented ref (a) demarche to Austrian Foreign Ministry Secretary General Johnanes Kyrle on October 7. (The Austrian Foreign Minister and State Secretary were out of the country.) Emil Brix, the Austrian MFA's Under Secretary-equivalent for Cultural Affairs, was also present. The Charge stressed U.S. problems with both trade and human rights implications of the Convention.
2. Kyrle and Brix said that EU member states had discussed U.S. views over the past several weeks, and had incorporated many of them into the current draft of the convention. They said they believed that the convention was now better for this process. Brix said the text now reflected concerns about human rights, and was no longer prone to use against cultural diversity.
3. Kyrle said it was important to discuss the matter with the EU Presidency (the United Kingdom). The Presidency was leading discussion in the EU on the convention and would respond on behalf of the EU. Brix noted that the British had worked to develop a compromise text to respond to U.S. concerns.
4. Kyrle said the EU as a whole would have to agree to any postponement of consideration of the Convention. This was "unthinkable" without the agreement of the British, as the Presidency country. Kyrle added that it would be important during the Austrian Presidency (in the first half of 2006) to have a mechanism to deal "preemptively" with this sort of transatlantic disagreement, and expressed his desire to work closely with the U.S.
5. Per ref (a),Charge will pursue the matter with the Austrian Chancellery as well.
van Voorst