AUSTRIA CALLS ON FUTURE PALESTINIAN CABINET TO

UNCLAS VIENNA 000245

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FOR NEA, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL IS AU EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA CALLS ON FUTURE PALESTINIAN CABINET TO
RENOUNCE VIOLENCE AND RECOGNIZE ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST


This message is sensitive but unclassified.


1. (U) Austrian Foreign Minister (and EU Foreign Ministers
Council chair) Ursula Plassnik issued a press release on
January 26 welcoming the peaceful nature of the recent
Palestinian elections and reporting that the EU election
observers had found the election to be "fair and open." She
cautioned, however, that the EU would base its support of any
future government on a renunciation of violence, commitment
to pursue goals with purely political means and recognition
of Israel's right to exist. Plassnik stressed that "all
legislators who have emerged successful from the current
elections should make a clear commitment to these goals in
the Palestinian parliament."


2. (U) Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel announced that the EU
political committee will meet in an extraordinary session
tonight, January 26, to coordinate with the European
Commission and prepare a unified line for the Foreign
Ministers' meeting (GAERC) on Monday in Brussels.


3. (U) A senior Austrian official in Brussels told a press
conference that Hamas remained on the EU list of terrorist
organizations, but that the EU might "reevaluate its
position" should Hamas "change its attitude."


4. (SBU) COMMENT: Austria clearly recognizes the limits of
its role as president of the EU Council and prefers to err on
the side of caution. Chancellor Schuessel and Foreign
Minister Plassnik will want to consult at least the most
important EU member states to reach consensus on next steps
before going further in its public pronouncements.
KILNER