AUSTRIA WILL ATTEND SIDE MEETINGS AT AVIAN FLU

UNCLAS VIENNA 000120 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/IHA (JSBLODGETT),EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KSCA AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA WILL ATTEND SIDE MEETINGS AT AVIAN FLU CONFERENCE REFS: A) STATE 6177 B) VIENNA 93 C) STATE 2890 ¶1. We conveyed ref A information about the two side events on the fringes of the Beijing conference to Hubert Hrabcik, General Director for Public Health, and to Thomas Buchsbaum, Head of the MFA's Department for Social Affairs and Health. They had already received basic information on these meetings from EU Commission channels. Buschbaum confirmed that he would most likely represent the GoA at both meetings. Due to current travel plans, Buschbaum may not be able to attend the January 19 meeting. In this case, Austria's Ambassador to China, Hans D. Schweisgut, would represent the GoA. MCCAW#