AUSTRIAN SUPPORT FOR U.S. CANDIDATE VOSS

UNCLAS VIENNA 000512

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (REMOVED MONTREAL PASS LINE)

SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
STATE FOR IO/T (LTOBEY),EB/TRA/OTP (BMATTINGLEY),AND
EUR/AGS
USEU FOR FAA (PFELDMAN)
PARIS FOR FAA (LLIU)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ICAO EAIR AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN SUPPORT FOR U.S. CANDIDATE VOSS
BUILDING

REF: (A) STATE 11373; (B) STATE 12863 (C) VIENNA 0282


1. (SBU) In a February 10 telcon, Transportation
Secretary Mineta asked his Austrian counterpart, Huberg

SIPDIS
Gorbach, to support the candidacy of William Voss ICAO
Secretary General. On February 15, DCM pressed Voss's

SIPDIS
candidacy in a meeting with Eduard Mainoni, State
Secretary in the Transportation ministry. Embassy

SIPDIS
delivered Secretary Mineta's letter to Gorbach, with
copies to the Foreign Minstry and to the Director General
of Civil Aviation in the Transportation Ministry.


2. (SBU) On February 17, Barbara Steiner, Gorbach's
special advisor for EU and international issues, told
Econoff that Gorbach had indicated his support for Voss
in conversation with Secretary Mineta. However, Steiner
said, Gorbach still needed to obtain agreement from
Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. Gorbach has already
talked to Plassnik, Steiner said, and expects a final
decision during the week of February 20.


3. (SBU) Mainoni similarly confirmed Gorbach's support
for Voss, but he also reminded DCM that Gorbach had again
asked Secretary Mineta for U.S. support for Philippe
Rochat, the Swiss candidate for President of the ICAO
council. Rochet has the support of ICAO's ABIS (Austria-
Belgium-Ireland-Switzerland) group, which Austria
currently heads.

MCCAW