AUSTRIA ON DISRUPTION OF CHISINAU-MOSCOW RAIL LINKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003268 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2016 TAGS: PREL ELTN EUN RU MD UP AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON DISRUPTION OF CHISINAU-MOSCOW RAIL LINKS REF: STATE 181103 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Gregory E. Phillips. Reason: 1. 4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Charge delivered reftel demarche on November 8 to Hannes Porias, the Austrian MFA's A/S-level Director for Eastern Europe and Russia. DAS-level Russia/Ukraine/Moldova/Belarus Director Josef Litschauer also participated. ¶2. (C) Porias said the EU had made clear to Kyiv that it is important to the EU that Ukraine uphold its customs agreement with Moldova. He said the EU had also made clear that this would be a key criteria in judging the EU-Ukraine relationship. Porias said the Ukrainian response was that Ukraine would indeed uphold its customs obligations. Porias said Deputy Prime Minister Azarov had made public statements to this effect. ¶3. (C) Litschauer noted that the Voronin-Putin Commission would hold another round of discussions on November 17. This represented at least a channel for further direct discussion on these issues, he said. Phillips