AUSTRIA ON THE NOVEMBER 21 EU FOREIGN MINISTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 003672

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2015

TAGS: ETRD IZ KPAL PREL AU EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON THE NOVEMBER 21 EU FOREIGN MINISTERS

MEETING (GAERC)

REF: STATE 208899

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips. Reaso

ns: 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) EconPolCouns delivered reftel demarche to Andreas

Riecken, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's European

Correspondent, on November 17 concerning the November 21

meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations

Committee (GAERC). Riecken had the following substantive

comments.

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Iraq

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2. (C) Riecken said the Austrian Foreign Minister would

likely raise an Austrian offer to provide experts in

constitutional and federal law to the Iraqis to assist in the

development of legislation concerning the country's federal

structure. This was an offer the Austrians had made directly

to the Iraqis on a national basis. Riecken said Austria

would propose an EU-wide effort in this regard.


3. (SBU) On debt, Riecken noted that Austria had implemented

the decision to forgive 80 percent of Iraq's debt to Austria.

This figure amounts to approximately one percent of

Austria's GDP.


4. (C) Regarding the elections, Riecken thought that the EU

would provide financial support to Iraq for the elections,

but was unlikely to send monitors.

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Middle East Peace Process

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5. (C) The EU will "work hard" to make the Agreement on

Movement and Access work, Riecken said. The EU will

contribute resources, and will provide personnel by the end

of November. Nationally, Austria will contribute funds, but

not personnel.

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Ukraine

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6. (C) Riecken said the GAERC would not discuss Ukraine as

such. The agenda item concerns preparations for the December

1 EU-Ukraine summit. Specifically, the GAERC will approve

the Action Plan for Ukraine, the first evaluation of which

would occur under the Austrian presidency.

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Bosnia

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7. (C) Bosnia will arise in the GAERC under a "Western

Balkans" agenda item. There will be a longer discussion if

the COREPER currently underway is able to reach a decision on

guidelines for the negotiation of the Stabilization and

Association Agreement with Bosnia. If the COREPER is unable

to do this, Riecken said, the discussion will be shorter.

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Kosovo

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8. (C) Riecken said Kosovo was not on the agenda as such.

Bosnia will likely dominate the "Western Balkans" agenda

item, he said. On the substance of our points, Riecken

agreed on the importance of UN Special Envoy Martti

Ahtisaari's efforts. Riecken said he understood that

Ahtisaari intended to reach some substantive conclusions on

Kosovo status by the end of 2006. Riecken said that Austrian

plans for a meeting of Balkan Foreign Ministers during the

March EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Salzburg came in the

context of following up on Thessaloniki, but could help

provide impetus to Ahtisaari's efforts.

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Syria

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9. (C) Syria is not on the agenda, Riecken said. He added

that the luncheon discussion will cover Iran, Iraq and the

Middle East Peace Process, and Syria could come up in this

context.

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WTO

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10.. (C) Riecken said the French had insisted on keeping WTO

on the agenda as a forum for "informing" EU countries of the

status of negotiations in Geneva.

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Africa

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11. (C) Riecken said the agenda included a discussion on the

EU's Africa Strategy. The Commission, Council Secretariat

and Presidency had developed ideas for a new basis for the

EU's relations with Africa. The GAERC is supposed to make

the new strategy ready for the European Council to discuss in

December.

VAN VOORST