AUSTRIA ON ENCOURAGING SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003283 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2016 TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS UP AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON ENCOURAGING SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE'S REFORM EFFORTS REF: STATE 180222 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Gregory E. Phillips. Reasons: 1 .4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Charge delivered reftel points on November 7 to Hannes Porias, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's A/S-level Director for Eastern Europe, and to Josef Litschauer, the MFA's DAS-level Russia/Ukraine/Belarus/Moldova officer. ¶2. (C) Porias said that Austria shared our views on the need for Ukraine to remain on a path of reform and of integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. From the Austrian point of view, he said, it seemed clear that Ukraine wanted to pursue the path of European integration. What was different was a matter of emphasis. At least as regards EU matters, PM Yanukovych now focussed more on concrete achievements and less on the elaboration of a strategic vision -- although the latter has not disappeared. In this regard, the EU was pressing Yanukovich on operational issues, such as implementing reforms necessary for Ukraine to become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). ¶3. (C) Litschauer said it was probably true that support for NATO membership in Ukraine was in a distinct minority. However, the infrastructure of NATO-Ukraine relations had not changed, and it was important for Ukraine to continue to make use of those structures. Phillips