Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VIENNA576
2006-02-24 16:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK LOAN TO SYRIA: AUSTRIAN
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 241634Z Feb 06
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000576
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016
TAGS: ETRD EFIN PREL PGOV SY AU
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK LOAN TO SYRIA: AUSTRIAN
RESPONSE
REF: STATE 229611
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000576
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016
TAGS: ETRD EFIN PREL PGOV SY AU
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK LOAN TO SYRIA: AUSTRIAN
RESPONSE
REF: STATE 229611
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On February 24-25, post met separately with the
following GoA officials to underscore reftel concerns with
European Investment Bank (EIB) loans to Syria: Ralph Scheide,
the Austrian MFA's Assistant Secretary-level Director for the
Middle East and Africa; Melitta Schubert, Head of the MFA's
Foreign Economic Relations Department and Transatlantic
Relations Coordinator; and Thomas Wieser, Director General
(U/S-level) of the Ministry of Finance's Economic Policy and
Financial Markets Directorate. Both Scheide and Schubert
emphasized EIB's independent nature, designed to minimize
political influence. Schubert admitted that the initial loan
to the telecom sector had been "questionable," but she
maintained that the current 45 million Euros loan for
municipal water projects would benefit a Palestinian refugee
camp. Scheide told us that we should talk to the British
about the loan.
2. (C) Wieser said that, although the EIB is an independent
entity, the member states are the shareholders. Ministries
of Finance are responsible for the technical and
administrative processing of the loans, but if there are
foreign policy implications, Ministries of Foreign Affairs
can certainly intervene. Wieser added that the MoF had not
yet received the agenda for the March EIB Board meeting, but
he promised to contact the MFA to ensure there are no foreign
policy objections to the loan. According to Wieser, there is
always a "member state interest" behind a loan, i.e., a
company or companies in certain member states stand to
benefit from a particular project. In this context, Wieser
implied that one or more member states are trying to
facilitate the municipal water project loan, and want to keep
the discussion on a purely technical level in order to do so.
McCaw
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016
TAGS: ETRD EFIN PREL PGOV SY AU
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK LOAN TO SYRIA: AUSTRIAN
RESPONSE
REF: STATE 229611
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On February 24-25, post met separately with the
following GoA officials to underscore reftel concerns with
European Investment Bank (EIB) loans to Syria: Ralph Scheide,
the Austrian MFA's Assistant Secretary-level Director for the
Middle East and Africa; Melitta Schubert, Head of the MFA's
Foreign Economic Relations Department and Transatlantic
Relations Coordinator; and Thomas Wieser, Director General
(U/S-level) of the Ministry of Finance's Economic Policy and
Financial Markets Directorate. Both Scheide and Schubert
emphasized EIB's independent nature, designed to minimize
political influence. Schubert admitted that the initial loan
to the telecom sector had been "questionable," but she
maintained that the current 45 million Euros loan for
municipal water projects would benefit a Palestinian refugee
camp. Scheide told us that we should talk to the British
about the loan.
2. (C) Wieser said that, although the EIB is an independent
entity, the member states are the shareholders. Ministries
of Finance are responsible for the technical and
administrative processing of the loans, but if there are
foreign policy implications, Ministries of Foreign Affairs
can certainly intervene. Wieser added that the MoF had not
yet received the agenda for the March EIB Board meeting, but
he promised to contact the MFA to ensure there are no foreign
policy objections to the loan. According to Wieser, there is
always a "member state interest" behind a loan, i.e., a
company or companies in certain member states stand to
benefit from a particular project. In this context, Wieser
implied that one or more member states are trying to
facilitate the municipal water project loan, and want to keep
the discussion on a purely technical level in order to do so.
McCaw