Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VIENNA882
2007-04-03 08:03:00
SECRET
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
AUSTRIA: GOA URGES BANKS TO CLOSE SEPAH ACCOUNTS
how-toVZCZCXRO2649 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHVI #0882 0930803 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 030803Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6876 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0188 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T VIENNA 000882
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2017
TAGS: EFIN KNNP PARM AU IR
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: GOA URGES BANKS TO CLOSE SEPAH ACCOUNTS
REF: A) STATE 40440 B) VIENNA 856 C)VIENNA 853
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
S E C R E T VIENNA 000882
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2017
TAGS: EFIN KNNP PARM AU IR
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: GOA URGES BANKS TO CLOSE SEPAH ACCOUNTS
REF: A) STATE 40440 B) VIENNA 856 C)VIENNA 853
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S) EconUnit Chief conveyed ref A points on March 30 to
Birgit Ertl, Assistant to the Ministry of Finance's Director
General, and to Elisabeth Ottawa, the MoF's Terrorist Finance
Coordinator. In a separate meeting (ref C) on March 30 with
the MFA's Director for the Middle East and Africa, EconPol
Counselor had urged the GoA to implement UNSCR 1747 quickly.
During an April 2 follow-up meeting with EconUnit Chief, Ertl
said she had contacted Bank-Austria Creditanstalt (BA/CA) and
Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) immediately on March 30 to
inquire about any Bank Sepah accounts and to urge the banks
to close any accounts immediately. Both BA/CA and RZB
reiterated what they had told visiting Treasury A/S O'Brien
on March 14 (ref B): neither bank would take on any new
Iranian business, but they would not freeze any Sepah Euro
accounts from existing business. According to Ertl, the
objective of both banks is to "wind down their business with
Sepah as soon as possible."
2. (S) EconUnit Chief urged the GoA to freeze or close the
accounts immediately, in view of the fact that UNSCR 1747
imposed sanctions on Sepah. Ottawa noted that the GoA would
have to await the implementation of UNSCR 1747 via an EU
Regulation, before it could take legal action against Sepah.
When EconUnit Chief inquired about domestic authority to
freeze such accounts, Ertl said that the domestic process to
freeze an account in such a case would be as lengthy as the
EU process.
McCaw
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2017
TAGS: EFIN KNNP PARM AU IR
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: GOA URGES BANKS TO CLOSE SEPAH ACCOUNTS
REF: A) STATE 40440 B) VIENNA 856 C)VIENNA 853
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S) EconUnit Chief conveyed ref A points on March 30 to
Birgit Ertl, Assistant to the Ministry of Finance's Director
General, and to Elisabeth Ottawa, the MoF's Terrorist Finance
Coordinator. In a separate meeting (ref C) on March 30 with
the MFA's Director for the Middle East and Africa, EconPol
Counselor had urged the GoA to implement UNSCR 1747 quickly.
During an April 2 follow-up meeting with EconUnit Chief, Ertl
said she had contacted Bank-Austria Creditanstalt (BA/CA) and
Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) immediately on March 30 to
inquire about any Bank Sepah accounts and to urge the banks
to close any accounts immediately. Both BA/CA and RZB
reiterated what they had told visiting Treasury A/S O'Brien
on March 14 (ref B): neither bank would take on any new
Iranian business, but they would not freeze any Sepah Euro
accounts from existing business. According to Ertl, the
objective of both banks is to "wind down their business with
Sepah as soon as possible."
2. (S) EconUnit Chief urged the GoA to freeze or close the
accounts immediately, in view of the fact that UNSCR 1747
imposed sanctions on Sepah. Ottawa noted that the GoA would
have to await the implementation of UNSCR 1747 via an EU
Regulation, before it could take legal action against Sepah.
When EconUnit Chief inquired about domestic authority to
freeze such accounts, Ertl said that the domestic process to
freeze an account in such a case would be as lengthy as the
EU process.
McCaw