Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA3569
2005-11-07 13:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE ON BELARUS: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

Tags:  PREL KDEM PGOV BO AU EUN 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003569 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015
TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV BO AU EUN
SUBJECT: PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE ON BELARUS: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

REF: STATE 201513

Classified By: Pol Unit Chief Michael DeTar, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003569

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015
TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV BO AU EUN
SUBJECT: PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE ON BELARUS: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

REF: STATE 201513

Classified By: Pol Unit Chief Michael DeTar, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Austrian MFA A/S
for Eurasian Affairs Hans Porias on November 4, stressing
that the U.S. hoped the EU would specifically call on
Lukashenko not to run again. Porias told us that he believed
that the Council Conclusions on Belarus were essentially
finalized. However, there would be a detailed, substantive
discussion of Belarus at the GAERC. Porias said that Belarus
must "get the message that it must adhere to the standards it
had signed up to." At a minimum, Belarus needed to invite
ODIHR to monitor the election.


2. (C) In Porias' view, one of the problems in dealing with
the Lukashenko regime was that many Belarusians do not
perceive themselves as being badly off. To them, Belarus was
"the last example of a successful Communist country."
Reaching out to opinion elites in Belarus might be the most
productive way to effect change in the country in the long
term. In order that Belarus could have positive examples to
emulate, the EU would invest substantial resources in its
"European Neighborhood Policy, " specifically targeting
Ukraine and Moldova.
Phillips