Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08VIENNA1007
2008-07-16 13:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

AUSTRIA ON THE UNSC: POTENTIAL RESISTANCE TO IRAN

Tags:  PREL PGOV UNSC ETTC PARM PINR KNNP ENRG MNUC 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #1007/01 1981348
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 161348Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0544
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0267
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001007 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC ETTC PARM PINR KNNP ENRG MNUC
EU, IN, AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON THE UNSC: POTENTIAL RESISTANCE TO IRAN
SANCTIONS

Classified by: DCM Scott F. Kilner for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001007

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC ETTC PARM PINR KNNP ENRG MNUC
EU, IN, AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON THE UNSC: POTENTIAL RESISTANCE TO IRAN
SANCTIONS

Classified by: DCM Scott F. Kilner for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: If Austria is successful in its bid for a
2009-10 rotating UNSC seat, its positions on most urgent
Security Council issues would reflect the EU consensus, MFA
contacts convincingly tell us. On Iran, however, successive
Austrian governments have shown a deep-seated philosophical
bias against the assertive application of sanctions, in favor
of engagement. Absent a clear EU consensus supporting
tougher measures, the GOA could well prove to be an unhelpful
voice on the Council. The GOA would also use its UNSC seat
to promote broad discussion on the rule of international law,
women's empowerment, and disarmament. MFA officials leading
the campaign for a UNSC seat believe Austria's status as an
EU member works to their advantage, but is not a guarantee of
success. End Summary.
EU Consensus Would Guide GOA
--------------


2. (U) Ralph Scheide, Deputy Poldir and head of the MFA's
Middle East Bureau, and Peter Huber, MFA Deputy Director for
International Organizations, told visiting IO DAS Hook June
25 that Austria's plans for a possible UNSC term are focused
on promoting thematic debates in three areas: the rule of
international law, women's empowerment, and disarmament.


3. (C) On country specific issues -- such as North Korea,
Iran, Zimbabwe, etc. -- Scheide and Huber said Austria would
adopt a non-confrontational approach. While the GOA's
position would be guided by the rule of law, the Austrians
recognize the need for pragmatism, Scheide and Huber said.


4. (C) In a similar vein, MFA Poldir Thomas Mayr-Harting has
noted often that Austria is the only EU member among the
three European candidates for two non-permanent WEOG seats

(Turkey and Iceland are the other two). Mayr-Harting has
averred that this is significant because EU members holding
rotating UNSC seats typically represent the EU consensus,
rather than their national position. (Note: Mayr-Harting is
slated to become Austria's UN PermRep beginning in late 2008.
End Note).


5. (C) Other contacts also indicate that Austria's positions
on the UNSC would hew closely to the EU consensus. Peter
Jankowitsch, who served as UN PermRep when Austria first held
a rotating UNSC seat in 1973-4 and is managing the GOA's
current UNSC campaign, told us that Austria, as a small,
non-permanent member, would not try to overplay its hand. It
would be guided more by the EU consensus than by permanent
UNSC members France and the UK, both of which are more
willing to follow their own, national policies.

Iran Sanctions Could Be the Exception
--------------


6. (C) Jankowitsch believes the EU consensus will be
consistent with the French/UK view -- and the U.S. view -- on
most issues likely to come up during the 2009-10 UNSC term.
One important possible exception, however, is Iran sanctions.
Austria has consistently been among those EU members
resisting a French led -- and UK backed -- effort to
establish a set of tough measures for EU-wide implementation
of UNSCR 1803. Jankowitsch, like most other Austrian
officials, acknowledges candidly that the GOA is skeptical
about the efficacy of sanctions generally, and would need to
be persuaded that any proposed, stiffer sanctions against
Iran would lead to the desired result. If the EU were
clearly and unambiguously in favor of such measures, the GOA
would likely feel compelled to support them, but the
Austrians would not necessarily follow the lead of France and
the UK, he said. Ingfrid Schutz-Muller, international
relations professor and special MFA envoy to the Pacific
island nations (where the GOA is courting support for its
UNSC campaign),agreed that Austria would try to be a "bridge
builder" in any debate over Iran sanctions.


7. (C) At the same time, Jankowitsch maintained, the GOA
would have no trouble supporting sanctions on Burma or North
Korea. Though the GOA has resisted EU sanctions on Burma in
the past, the MFA is now "fed up" with the Burmese regime
after its mishandling of the cyclone and the elections, he
said. The GOA also views the North Korean regime as unlikely
to respond to softer diplomatic measures, he said.

MFA Africa Department Created
--------------


8. (U) Thomas Muhlmann, head of the MFA unit running the UNSC
campaign, informed us that the MFA's recent decision to
upgrade its Africa Sub-Department to a full Department is
partly related to the UNSC bid. While the "long overdue"
move had been in the works for some time, it was expedited in
light of the fact that Africa accounts for some 60 percent of
UNSC business, he said.

EU Membership Aids Candidacy
--------------


9. (C) Jankowitsch believes Austria is likely to succeed in
its quest for a UNSC seat. As the only EU-member candidate,
he expects Austria to receive broad EU support. He said
Iceland will draw support from the Nordic countries, but
since each country gets two votes, the Nordics can also vote
for Austria. Muhlmann, on the other hand, was more cautious.
He said "it would be nice to think" that all fellow EU
members would vote for Austria, but indicated that at least a
few would not. He declined to elaborate on the feedback he
has been getting on Austria's candidacy, other than to say
that EU membership will help Austria, but will not guarantee
success.
Girard-diCarlo