DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: SOLICITING DONATIONS FOR

UNCLAS VIENNA 000568 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EUR/PRA, PM/WRA, EUR/RPM AND EUR/AGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MARR MOPS PREL UP AU NATO SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: SOLICITING DONATIONS FOR NATO TRUST FUND TO DESTROY UKRAINIAN MUNITIONS, SA/LW, MANPADS REF: STATE 32708 This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶1. (U) EconPolCouns and Pol Unit Chief delivered reftel demarche on February 28 to Thomas Hajnoczi, the MFA's assistant secretary-equivalent Director for Political Military Affairs, and Robert Zischg, MFA Deputy Director for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. ¶2. (U) Hajnoczi and Zischg said Austria had a great interest in the NATO trust fund to destroy Ukrainian munitions. Hajnoczi said Austria had participated in leading a trust fund, and appreciated what went into the effort. Hajnoczi said someone from the Austrian Embassy in Brussels would certainly attend the March 11 meeting. ¶3. (SBU) Hajnoczi said he would have to look into the question of funding support -- "that depends on our Finance Ministry," he added. Hajnoczi said he had fought hard to carve out a small line item to permit the arms control section to designate funds for certain activities. Zischg said the Austrians had obligated these funds to the Balkans and "one or two African countries." They would require additional authorities to contribute to the trust fund for Ukraine. Brown