DON'T INVEST IN SYRIA: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003975

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/LEA, EB/OFD/IDF, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2015
TAGS: ETRD EFIN PREL PGOV SY AU EUN
SUBJECT: DON'T INVEST IN SYRIA: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE

REF: STATE 229611

Classified By: ECONOMIC-POLITICAL COUNSELOR GREGORY E. PHILLIPS


1. (C) Embassy conveyed reftel demarche to Austrian MFA
Acting A/S-equivalent for Bi- and Multilateral Economic
Relations and International Financial Institutions Hans
Kogler on December 23. We followed up with Kogler on
December 29. Kogler told us he had only recently assumed his
duties as Director for the Barcelona Process (and deputy to
Austrian U.S-EU Task Force Chair Melitta Schubert). He noted
that the Finance Ministry has the lead on the EIB lending
facility for the Middle East (FEMIP),but offered to check on
the status of the loan and see if it could still be
withdrawn. We stressed the need to keep up the maximum
pressure on Syria in the matter of the Hariri assassination
investigation and urged the GoA to make use of its upcoming
EU Presidency to block any further investments in Syria until
the SARG cooperates fully.
KILNER