Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VIENNA3401
2006-11-24 14:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: UNIFIED APPROACH TO
how-toVZCZCXRO7843 OO RUEHIK RUEHYG DE RUEHVI #3401 3281419 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 241419Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5625 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 1086 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 3922 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0173 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0486
UNCLAS VIENNA 003401
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PBTS EUN NATO OSCE MO GG RU AU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: UNIFIED APPROACH TO
GEORGIA/MOLDOVA CONFLICTS
REF: STATE 190264
UNCLAS VIENNA 003401
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PBTS EUN NATO OSCE MO GG RU AU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: UNIFIED APPROACH TO
GEORGIA/MOLDOVA CONFLICTS
REF: STATE 190264
1. (SBU) Post conveyed reftel points on November 22 to
Thomas Mayr-Harting, the Austrian MFA's Political Director.
Charge met with Mayr-Harting on November 24 to discuss the
issue. Austrian OSCE Political Affairs Director Christophe
Ceska, Eastern Europe Director (DAS-equivalent) Josef
Litschauer, and Eastern Europe desk officer Ursula Fahringer
also participated.
2. (SBU) Mayr-Harting said Austria agrees with U.S. views on
the status of the territories in question (Transnistria,
South Ossetia and Abkhazia). Austria would like the
international community to find a solution to compatible with
international law and with the integrity of the states of
which they are a part, Mayr-Harting said.
3. (SBU) Ceska said there was agreement among EU members
that it was important to win consensus on a Ministerial
Declaration this year. It had been five years since this had
been possible, he noted. However, there were diverse views
on whether there should be different regional declarations on
Georgia and Moldova. There was some support for avoiding
mention of Russia's Istanbul Commitments in a declaration on
Georgia, he noted.
4. (SBU) Mayr-Harting said it would be difficult, in a
consensus-based organization such as the OSCE, to induce
Russia to sign on to a text to which the EU and U.S. could
agree. In practical terms, he mused, Russian acquiescence to
such a text in early December would effectively give away a
point the Russians think they could use (much as we all
disagree) in connection with Kosovo early in 2007.
Tactically, if there is no chance for a consensus text this
year, it would seem to make sense for the EU and U.S. to
resist offering compromises to the Russians at all. He
undertook to work out a definitive position to share with us.
5. (SBU) Ceska and Litschauer said they had not/not been
able to locate the Russian text that reftel cites (para. 2,
tic 4). They asked if we had a copy we could share with them.
Phillips
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/RPM AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PBTS EUN NATO OSCE MO GG RU AU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: UNIFIED APPROACH TO
GEORGIA/MOLDOVA CONFLICTS
REF: STATE 190264
1. (SBU) Post conveyed reftel points on November 22 to
Thomas Mayr-Harting, the Austrian MFA's Political Director.
Charge met with Mayr-Harting on November 24 to discuss the
issue. Austrian OSCE Political Affairs Director Christophe
Ceska, Eastern Europe Director (DAS-equivalent) Josef
Litschauer, and Eastern Europe desk officer Ursula Fahringer
also participated.
2. (SBU) Mayr-Harting said Austria agrees with U.S. views on
the status of the territories in question (Transnistria,
South Ossetia and Abkhazia). Austria would like the
international community to find a solution to compatible with
international law and with the integrity of the states of
which they are a part, Mayr-Harting said.
3. (SBU) Ceska said there was agreement among EU members
that it was important to win consensus on a Ministerial
Declaration this year. It had been five years since this had
been possible, he noted. However, there were diverse views
on whether there should be different regional declarations on
Georgia and Moldova. There was some support for avoiding
mention of Russia's Istanbul Commitments in a declaration on
Georgia, he noted.
4. (SBU) Mayr-Harting said it would be difficult, in a
consensus-based organization such as the OSCE, to induce
Russia to sign on to a text to which the EU and U.S. could
agree. In practical terms, he mused, Russian acquiescence to
such a text in early December would effectively give away a
point the Russians think they could use (much as we all
disagree) in connection with Kosovo early in 2007.
Tactically, if there is no chance for a consensus text this
year, it would seem to make sense for the EU and U.S. to
resist offering compromises to the Russians at all. He
undertook to work out a definitive position to share with us.
5. (SBU) Ceska and Litschauer said they had not/not been
able to locate the Russian text that reftel cites (para. 2,
tic 4). They asked if we had a copy we could share with them.
Phillips