PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ABU AMR VISITS VIENNA

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000917 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2017 TAGS: PREL KPAL IS AU SUBJECT: PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ABU AMR VISITS VIENNA REF: VIENNA 832 Classified By: Economic Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips. Reaso n: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) In response to an invitation by Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr visited Vienna for meetings on April 4. Abu Amr said publicly that Israel is "not ready for serious peace negotiations." At the same time, he called the Arab peace initiative a "strong, honest and foreceful" proposal. He specifically called for Israel to withdraw from villages it had occupied after 2000, lift roadblocks, and cease jailing Palestinian women and children. He said the Palestinian government was prepared for a "serious" exchange of prisoners, including Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Abu Amr also stated in an interview that the Palestinian government's program called for a Palestinian state within 1967 borders, a position he said constituted an implicit recognition by Hamas of a two-state solution. ¶2. (SBU) Plassnik publicly called the formation of the NUG an indication of a "way out of the vicious circle of intra-Palestinian violence." She said she had invited Abu Amr so soon after he took office in order to underline how important a Palestinian unity government was. She added that she also wanted to deliver the message that the international community still has expectations that the NUG's program does not entirely fulfill. She explicitly called for the release of Shalit and of BBC journalist Johnston. She called on Israel to release jailed Palestinian ministers and parliamentarians and to release Palestinian customs and tax revenues. She also called for an end to "activities contrary to human rights, that threaten the two-state solution," citing settlements and the construction of the "separation wall" on Palestinian territory. ¶3. (SBU) Plassnik said Austria would continue its engagement in the regon, citing Abu Amr's acceptance of her invitation as evidence that Austria enjoys the trust and confidence of both sides in the Middle East conflict. She offered Vienna as the site of a possible Midle East conference,an offer Abu Amr endorsed. Finally, Plassnik announced that Austria would cnsider establishing a training program for young emale Palestinian diplomats. ¶4. (C) Note: Perreftel, Abu Amr's letter accepting Plassnik's initation had indicated his desire to lead the NUG toward acceptance of the international community's "wishes, demands and resolutions." He also declared the NUG's intent to achieve Shalit's release "in the context of an honorable and fair prisoner exchange arrangement." McCaw