Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VIENNA2780
2007-11-09 18:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
AUSTRIA: ODIHR MONITORING OF RUSSIAN ELECTION
how-toVZCZCXRO3299 RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVI #2780 3131800 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 091800Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8957 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3960
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 002780
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2022
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM RS AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: ODIHR MONITORING OF RUSSIAN ELECTION
REF: STATE 153123
Classified By: Econ/Pol Couns Dean Yap. Reason: 1.4(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 002780
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2022
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM RS AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: ODIHR MONITORING OF RUSSIAN ELECTION
REF: STATE 153123
Classified By: Econ/Pol Couns Dean Yap. Reason: 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) Econ/Pol Counselor met Nov. 9 with Austrian OSCE
PermRep Margit Waestenfelt to discuss reftel demarche.
Waestenfelt seemed at a loss as to how to respond to the
Russian "game." She expected the Russians to continue to
drag the process out and make it impossible for even the 70
observers invited to play an effective role. However, she
did not believe ODIHR could simply walk out of the "game"
without handing the Russians a propaganda victory. Pressure
on the Russians to reverse their conditions and allow free
ODIHR access now were not worthwhile either, because it was
too late to send an assessment mission. ODIHR was no longer
in a position to send a large monitoring mission. She was
skeptical that a mission tailored by the Russians into
purposelessness would do lasting damage.
2. (C) Waestenfelt was more focused, and said the EU was
primarily focusing on how to counter Russian and partner
efforts to re-structure ODIHR monitoring in such a way that
the process would be "reduced to a formality."
McCaw
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2022
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM RS AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: ODIHR MONITORING OF RUSSIAN ELECTION
REF: STATE 153123
Classified By: Econ/Pol Couns Dean Yap. Reason: 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) Econ/Pol Counselor met Nov. 9 with Austrian OSCE
PermRep Margit Waestenfelt to discuss reftel demarche.
Waestenfelt seemed at a loss as to how to respond to the
Russian "game." She expected the Russians to continue to
drag the process out and make it impossible for even the 70
observers invited to play an effective role. However, she
did not believe ODIHR could simply walk out of the "game"
without handing the Russians a propaganda victory. Pressure
on the Russians to reverse their conditions and allow free
ODIHR access now were not worthwhile either, because it was
too late to send an assessment mission. ODIHR was no longer
in a position to send a large monitoring mission. She was
skeptical that a mission tailored by the Russians into
purposelessness would do lasting damage.
2. (C) Waestenfelt was more focused, and said the EU was
primarily focusing on how to counter Russian and partner
efforts to re-structure ODIHR monitoring in such a way that
the process would be "reduced to a formality."
McCaw