DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: OECD SEC GEN SELECTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003614 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2015 TAGS: ECON ETRD EFIN AU OECD SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: OECD SEC GEN SELECTION REF: STATE 204906 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gregory E. Phillips. Reason> 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Charge presented reftel points on November 10 to Ulrike Magloth, the Director for International Economic Affairs in the Chancellery (Prime Minister's office). Magloth has responsibility for OECD affairs in the Austrian government. ¶2. (C) Magloth said Jose Angel Gurria had visited Vienna recently, and she and her colleagues had been quite impressed with him. That said, Austria had a slight preference for "the European candidate," Marek Belka, as OECD Secretary General. Magloth said Austria's views were not strong, and Austria would follow an EU trend in favor of Gurria, if the selection process took that course. ¶3. (C) We pointed out that the U.S. position was not a "regional" one. We reviewed reftel points and said we considered Gurria to be the best candidate, especially in view of the challenges the OECD was now facing. Magloth thanked us for our views, and undertook to stay in touch as the process took its course. Phillips