Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VIENNA437
2007-02-20 11:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
UNSCR 1737: AUSTRIA SUPPORTS TIMELY, EU-WIDE
how-toVZCZCXRO1843 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHVI #0437 0511125 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 201125Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6395 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000437
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR ISN, T, NEA, AND EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP EFIN ETTC AU
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1737: AUSTRIA SUPPORTS TIMELY, EU-WIDE
IMPLEMENTATION
REF: STATE 16917
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for rea
sons 1.5 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000437
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR ISN, T, NEA, AND EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP EFIN ETTC AU
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1737: AUSTRIA SUPPORTS TIMELY, EU-WIDE
IMPLEMENTATION
REF: STATE 16917
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for rea
sons 1.5 (b) and (d)
1. (C) EconUnit Chief delivered reftel nonpaper on February
15 to Birgit Ertl and Elisabeth Ottawa from the Austrian
Ministry of Finance's Financial Markets Division.
EconPolCouns had delivered the points on February 14 to Ralph
Scheide, the Austrian MFA's Middle East Director. Ertl said
that Austria supports a timely, EU-wide implementation of the
resolution. She added that this would most likely occur in
March, when the EU agrees on a Common Council Position for a
regulation. According to Ertl, the GoA favors a flexible
regulation, i.e., one that can expeditiously incorporate
additional entities that have a clear ownership or
controlling relationship with the entities in UNSCR 1737.
2. (SBU) EconUnit Chief urged the GoA to remain vigilant
regarding the possibility that Iran may attempt to utilize
Iranian entities, which UNSCR 1737 did not list, to
circumvent the sanctions. EconUnit Chief called attention to
financial non-proliferation activities by Iranian banks, such
as Bank Sepah. Ertl noted that, absent UN or EU financial
sanctions, Austria could not legally prevent Austrian banks
from maintaining correspondent relations in Iran. However,
Ertl admitted that, following several visits from Treasury
U/S Levey in 2006, former Minister of Finance Karl-Heinz
Grasser had met with the CEOs of Austria's major banks to
re-inforce the political drawbacks of doing business with
Iranian banks.
McCaw
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR ISN, T, NEA, AND EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP EFIN ETTC AU
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1737: AUSTRIA SUPPORTS TIMELY, EU-WIDE
IMPLEMENTATION
REF: STATE 16917
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for rea
sons 1.5 (b) and (d)
1. (C) EconUnit Chief delivered reftel nonpaper on February
15 to Birgit Ertl and Elisabeth Ottawa from the Austrian
Ministry of Finance's Financial Markets Division.
EconPolCouns had delivered the points on February 14 to Ralph
Scheide, the Austrian MFA's Middle East Director. Ertl said
that Austria supports a timely, EU-wide implementation of the
resolution. She added that this would most likely occur in
March, when the EU agrees on a Common Council Position for a
regulation. According to Ertl, the GoA favors a flexible
regulation, i.e., one that can expeditiously incorporate
additional entities that have a clear ownership or
controlling relationship with the entities in UNSCR 1737.
2. (SBU) EconUnit Chief urged the GoA to remain vigilant
regarding the possibility that Iran may attempt to utilize
Iranian entities, which UNSCR 1737 did not list, to
circumvent the sanctions. EconUnit Chief called attention to
financial non-proliferation activities by Iranian banks, such
as Bank Sepah. Ertl noted that, absent UN or EU financial
sanctions, Austria could not legally prevent Austrian banks
from maintaining correspondent relations in Iran. However,
Ertl admitted that, following several visits from Treasury
U/S Levey in 2006, former Minister of Finance Karl-Heinz
Grasser had met with the CEOs of Austria's major banks to
re-inforce the political drawbacks of doing business with
Iranian banks.
McCaw