DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: CONDEMNING THE ASSASSINATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003868

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER LE SY AU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: CONDEMNING THE ASSASSINATION
OF GEBRAN TUENI

REF: STATE 223709

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Scott Kilner. Reason: 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) On December 13, EconPolCouns delivered the texts of
the President's and the Secretary's statements on the
assassination of Gebran Tueni to Ralph Scheide, the Austrian
Foreign Ministry's assistant secretary-level Director for
Middle East and African affairs. Scheide immediately had his
staff pass the texts to Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. He
said Austria deferred to the UK Presidency to speak for EU
member states, and added that Austria was solidly behind UK
Foreign Secretary Straw's comments.


2. (C) Scheide said he is in frequent contact with Detlev
Mehlis, and he had worked closely with Mehlis to make
possible the interrogation of suspects in the Hariri
assassination at UN facilities in Vienna. He said Austria
would continue to play a helpful role, adding that the
effectiveness of Austria's engagement depended on keeping it
out of the public eye.
MCCAW