AUSTRIA FULLY SUPPORTS UN KOSOVO PROPOSALS

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000857 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SCE - BLACK AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV UNMIK UN YI EU AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA FULLY SUPPORTS UN KOSOVO PROPOSALS REF: A. STATE 37835 ¶B. VIENNA 832 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Scott F. Kilner. Reasons: 1.4 (b) an d (d). ¶1. (SBU) Charge delivered ref (a) demarche on March 28 to Johannes Kyrle, the Austrian MFA's Secretary General. EconPolCouns also discussed the issue with MFA European Correspondent Andreas Riecken on March 29. ¶2. (C) Kyrle agreed that EU unity in support of Martti Ahtisaari's report is essential. He said Austria would do what it could to encourage it. Kyrle said that what happens in the UN Security Council will be critical. He expressed concern about reports from Moscow regarding the Russian position. Charge stressed that the U.S. is continuing to engage with Russia at the highest levels. ¶3. (C) Kyrle turned to Austria's efforts to encourage Serbia's European perspective. He noted that the GOA is working within the EU to ease visa barriers to travel by ordinary Serbs. Austria, he continued, is also working hard to promote an April 18 meeting in Belgrade of Foreign Ministers involved in the Danube Cooperation Process. Kilner