AUSTRIAN MFA ON DECEMBER EU FOREIGN MINISTERS'

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003832

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA/AR, EUR/ERA, EUR/SCE AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2015
TAGS: PREL ECON YI BK AF AU EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MFA ON DECEMBER EU FOREIGN MINISTERS'
MEETINGS

REF: STATE 217518

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Pol Unit chief delivered reftel demarche to Austrian
MFA Coordinator for EU Common Foreign and Security Policy
(CFSP) Andreas Riecken on December 2. We provided (per
reftel) documents on the Dayton anniversary and the
President's Iraq policy speech. In particular, we underlined
the importance of the EU Commission and member states
renewing and extending their commitment to help Afghanistan
through new pledges at the London Conference.


2. (C) Riecken told us he expected the December 7 informal
ministers' meeting to be largely taken up with an effort to
narrow differences over the latest UK proposal for the EU
seven-year budget framework. Riecken said that the agenda
for the December 12 GAERC was still in flux. The ministers
would discuss Kosovo over lunch, especially in the context of
the protection of minorities and religious sites. The main
items on the CFSP agenda so far were: 1) a UK proposal for an
EU strategy on Africa, and 2) ways to defuse the tense
situation on the Ethiopian-Eritrean border.


3. (C) Riecken noted that the Balkans would be a strong
priority for Austria's EU presidency in the first half of

2006. The Gymnich informal ministerial in March would focus
especially on Kosovo; Martti Ahtisaari was expected to take
part, along with the UN High Representative for Bosnia. In
Riecken's view, many EU incentives for Balkan countries,
including the various types of association agreements, were
already engaged to the maximum extent possible at this time.
However, it was likely that Serbia would want to discuss a
possible easing of visa requirements for its citizens. As in
the case of Russia, the EU would link this to an agreement
for expedited repatriation from the Schengen area of asylum
applicants from Serbia, as well any other countries of the
region that might participate in such a visa facilitation
regime.
KILNER