Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA3762
2005-11-29 14:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

EUR A/S FRIED'S MEETINGS WITH AUSTRIAN OFFICIALS

Tags:  PREL PGOV AU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 003762 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU
SUBJECT: EUR A/S FRIED'S MEETINGS WITH AUSTRIAN OFFICIALS
-- NOVEMBER 15, 2005

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Carol van Voorst. Reason: 1.4 (b) an
d (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 003762

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU
SUBJECT: EUR A/S FRIED'S MEETINGS WITH AUSTRIAN OFFICIALS
-- NOVEMBER 15, 2005

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Carol van Voorst. Reason: 1.4 (b) an
d (d).


1. (C) Summary: In discussions with Austrian
interlocutors, EUR Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried outlined
the strategic agenda for U.S. engagement with the Austrian EU
Presidency. Most of our work concerns areas outside the EU.
One key is the "frontiers of freedom" in Europe in an area
analagous to the European part of the EU's New Neighborhood
Policy. The Austrians said the Balkans are a foreign policy
priority. Fried said the Broader Middle East is also key.
The Austrian conference on "Islam in a Pluralistic World" was
an important contribution. Fried called for common action on
Iran. On China, the Austrians said they would not take the
lead on the arms embargo. On Turkey, Fried and his
interlocutors agreed that accession talks should proceed
automatically. End Summary.


2. (U) On November 15, A/S Fried met with Austrian
Chancellery Diplomatic Advisor Hans-Peter Manz, MFA State
Secretary Hans Winkler, MFA Secretary General Johannes Kyrle,

SIPDIS
and MFA Political Director Thomas Mayr-Harting on the margins
of the Austrian-sponsored conference on "Islam in a
Pluralistic World." (Septel reports on the conference,
including A/S Fried's remarks.)

--------------
Austria's EU Presidency/U.S.-EU Agenda
--------------


3. (C) A/S Fried told his counterparts that it is important
to set the agenda for Austria's European Union Presidency.
The larger strategic agenda for the U.S. and Europe focusses
on areas outside the EU, including the Broader Middle East,
Iran, Belarus, the Caucasus, and Ukraine. We should focus on
results.


4. (C) In response to Mayr-Harting's invitation to a
Political Directors' meeting at Alpbach, Tirol on January 11,
2006, Fried said he would attend.

--------------
"Frontiers of Freedom"
--------------


5. (C) Fried said the U.S.-EU strategic agenda includes what
we are calling the "frontiers of freedom" -- the Balkans,
Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the South Caucasus,
and, in a different context, Russia. The EU's New
Neighborhood Policy was one of the smartest strategic moves

the EU has made in years, he said. Europe has interests in
the neighborhood, just as Russia does, and neither has a
monopoly.


6. (C) Fried said we need to support and push Ukrainian
reform, helping the Ukrainians focus on their strategic
direction. The EU cannot give Ukraine a firm prospect of EU
membership -- the Ukrainians have to earn it -- but the EU
should not slam the door on them. We need to coordinate on
frozen conflicts, as well. There was a lot of talk in Russia
about places they called "unrecognized states" -- a dubious
concept. We will not accept the creeping annexation of
former Soviet lands.


7. (C) Mayr-Harting said maintaining Belarussian
independence will be a key achievement. Fried said no
referendum on union would be free -- it would really be an
annexation. Fried said we should think about a joint mission
to Minsk to deliver a message to Lukashenko. The message had
to be clear, and has to say there are consequences if
Lukashenko steals the election. Rather than preserving
programs and access, we should look for ways to advance
freedom.

--------------
Balkans
--------------


8. (C) Winkler said the Balkans will be the Austrian
presidency's foreign policy priority. Austria will invite
Balkan foreign ministers to a meeting during the EU Foreign
Ministers' meeting in Salzburg in March. The Interior
Minister will also invite counterparts from the countries of
the New Neighborhood Policy to an Interior Ministers' meeting
in Vienna in May. Providing a European perspective to the
Balkans is important for reform.


9. (C) Fried said Martti Ahtissari, the Special
Representative of the UN Secretary General, does not want to
let 2006 pass without decisions on the status of Kosovo. We
need to make clear to the Kosovars that they need to earn
their independence. Mayr-Harting said Austria wants an
important NATO role in the Balkans. The U.S. has the
greatest leverage, especially on the Kosovar Albanians.
Fried said that the fact that Austria has troops in the
Balkans -- numbering almost 1000, with some 600 in Kosovo and
over 300 in Bosnia -- with no caveats is important.


10. (C) Fried said the Croatians could not simply go through
the motions of pretending to go after Ante Gotovina. There
cannot be different rules for Croatia than there are for
Serbia. Manz said Chancellor Schuessel is in frequent
contact with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on this
issue.

--------------
Middle East
--------------


11. (C) The U.S.-EU strategic agenda includes reform in the
Broader Middle East, Fried said. Austria's conference on
"Islam in a Pluralistic World" was extremely impressive. The
presence of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Afghanistan
President Hamid Karzai was powerful. Austrian Foreign
Minister Ursula Plassnik's statement was a clear statement of
the obligation to help Iraq and Afghanistan.


12. (C) Mayr-Harting said he visited Iraq with an EU troika
group. The constitution seemed so decentralized as to raise
questions of its workability. He asked whether it would be
useful for Austria to provide experts to help Iraq develop
federal mechanisms.


13. (C) Fried said the Iranians are apparently not
interested in a settlement on the nuclear issue. It will be
hard to take the issue to the UN Security Council. Manz said
it will not be easy if Russia and China resist, but the EU
had agreed to support it. Fried pointed out that President
Putin wants the G-8 Summit to be a success, and might
therefore show flexibility.

--------------
China
--------------


14. (C) On the China Arms Embargo, it was important that the
U.S. and EU had started a strategic dialogue on China and on
Asia in general, Fried said. Opposition to a lift of the
embargo had united all elements in Washington. Kyrle said
Austria would not be in front on the China arms embargo.

--------------
Turkey
--------------


15. (C) Fried said the negotiations for Turkish accession to
the EU are on track, and the burden is now on the Turks.
Turkish accession is at least ten years away, and both Turkey
and the EU will be different places then than they are now.
Austria should just let the process take its course. Manz
said, "Don't worry about the Austrian Presidency."

-------------- --------------
Chancellor Schuessel's December 8 Visit to Washington
-------------- --------------


16. (C) Fried said Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's December
8 visit to Washington will be a good occasion to outine the
framework of U.S.-European relations. The President will
want to talk about issues beyond the EU. The outward focus
is critical to us.
VAN VOORST