DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: APRIL 23-24 GAERC AND EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001036

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/ERA --DILLE AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2017
TAGS: PREL EUN ETRD PGOV PHUM CU AU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA: APRIL 23-24 GAERC AND EU
CUBA POLICY

REF: A. STATE 51262

B. STATE 52623

Classified By: Economic Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips. Reaso
ns: 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) EconPolCouns delivered ref (a) points on the GAERC
agenda and ref (b) points on EU Cuba policy to Austrian MFA
European Correspondent Andreas Riecken on April 20.


2. (C) Riecken made the following substantive comments:

-- Central Asia: There will be no decisions on Central Asia
at this GAERC. Instead, this agenda item foresees a general
discussion to "orient" the German presidency, preparatory to
finalizing a strategy toward Central Asia in June. There
will not be an special discussion on Uzbekistan (unless a
minister chooses to raise it).

-- Western Balkans: There will be no discussion of the
Balkans at the April GAERC, Riecken said. It had been on the
agenda, but the feeling in the EU was that there were really
no new developments since the discussion of the issue at the
Gymnich, so it was no longer an agenda item.

-- Middle East: This will come up as a luncheon topic. On
contacts with the Palestinian government, Riecken said most
EU member states are of the view that they can meet non-Hamas
ministers. "No one" will meet with Hamas members, he added.
On Iran, there are no decisions or council conclusions.
However, the Presidency wants to have a discussion not only
of the nuclear issue, but of the whole range of relations
with Iran, because this did not take place at the Gymnich.
(Riecken said the Gymnich dropped the Iran discussion because
it would have been "inopportune" while the Iranians were
still holding the British seamen.) Lebanon is not on the
agenda, but there are "hints" that the French might raise it.
Algeria is not on the agenda.

-- Africa: All the topics we mention are on the agenda, he
said.

-- WTO/Doha Round: The French routinely ask that WTO be on
the GAERC agendas as a matter of course, but there is
unlikely to be any real discussion, Riecken said.


3. (C) Riecken said Italy had proposed a luncheon discussion
of the death penalty. The Italians were pressing for action
in the UN General Assembly to call for a moratorium on the
death penalty. Riecken said that all EU member states oppose
the death penalty, but the Austrians are among those who
would rather take a more "realistic" approach by avoiding yet
another failure (this would be the third) in the General
Assembly.
KILNER