AUSTRIAN POSITION ON POSSIBLE RUSSIAN RECOGNITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001225 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/RUS (SZPILA) E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018 TAGS: PREL RS GG AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN POSITION ON POSSIBLE RUSSIAN RECOGNITION OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA REF: A. STATE 90978 ¶B. VIENNA 1216 Classified by: Economic-Political Counselor J. Dean Yap for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Ambassador discussed ref A points August 25 with MFA State Secretary Winkler, just minutes after the Duma vote in favor of recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Speaking on the margins of the Alpbach Forum in Tirol Province, the Ambassador urged the GOA to express its objections to the Duma's actions directly to the Russian Government. The Ambassador maintained that Austria, as a "neutral" country, was particularly well placed to show the Russians what a negative impact their actions were having on the international community. Winkler replied that he personally believed a strong, assertive Austrian response was called for, and said he would argue for this within the GOA. ¶2. (C) Econ/Pol Couns and Polchief also urged direct Austrian engagement with Russia in a conversation with Franz-Josef Kuglitsch, MFA Director for the South Caucasus, shortly before the Duma vote. Kuglitsch said the GOA would likely issue a press statement in response to a Duma vote in favor of recognition. He said he did not expect President Medvedev to agree to recognition, adding that the U.S. is "always pessimistic" in its view of Russian behavior. Kuglitsch was more concerned that there was no clear Western position on the "international mechanism" to replace Russian troops. Econ/Pol Couns noted that the French had the lead on matters relating to the six points; Kuglitsch replied that France had called a special session of the European Council for September 1 to discuss Georgia and relations with Russia. Econ/Pol Couns stressed the importance of engaging the Russians directly as soon as possible; even if a detailed Western position on implementing the six points had not yet been fully worked out, it was not too soon to warn the Russians against aggravating the crisis. Girard-diCarlo