Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08VIENNA1784
2008-12-03 15:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
AUSTRIAN VIEWS ON HELSINKI OSCE MINISTERIAL
how-toVZCZCXRO7598 PP RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVI #1784 3381527 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 031527Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1620 INFO RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001784
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2018
TAGS: OSCE PREL PHUM KDEM GG RU AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN VIEWS ON HELSINKI OSCE MINISTERIAL
REF: STATE 125626
Classified by: Economic-Political Counselor J. Dean Yap for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001784
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2018
TAGS: OSCE PREL PHUM KDEM GG RU AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN VIEWS ON HELSINKI OSCE MINISTERIAL
REF: STATE 125626
Classified by: Economic-Political Counselor J. Dean Yap for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Polchief discussed reftel points December 3 with
Ulrike Butschek, Counselor at the Austrian mission to the
OSCE. Butschek said the GOA shares the USG's goals
concerning a ministerial declaration, and agrees that a weak
declaration would be worse than none. She said she is not
optimistic about reaching agreement on a strong statement,
and believes it likely that participants will fail to issue a
statement, as has happened in the past. The problem is not
the OSCE, but Russia, which is unlikely to make compromises
that would allow for a worthwhile declaration, she said.
2. (C) Butschek said the EU is divided into two schools of
thought concerning President Medvedev's Security Treaty
Proposal and President Sarkozy's call to discuss European
security at an OSCE summit next year. One group of EU states
believes that such a dialogue could be useful, and that the
OSCE is the appropriate venue. A second group maintains that
a security treaty should be agreed before a summit is
scheduled, and that a summit should serve only as an
opportunity to sign the document. Austria belongs to the
first group, and would likely offer to serve as host to a
summit, she said. Polchief stressed the importance of
preserving the "acquis" commitments, and the need to press
Russia to resume implementation of the CFE Treaty and allow
OSCE monitors unfettered access to South Ossetia and
Abkhazia. Butschek replied that the GOA shares those views,
but does not believe there is any way to force a change in
Russian behavior. A summit on European security seems as
good an approach as any to engage the Russians, she averred.
GIRARD-DICARLO
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2018
TAGS: OSCE PREL PHUM KDEM GG RU AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN VIEWS ON HELSINKI OSCE MINISTERIAL
REF: STATE 125626
Classified by: Economic-Political Counselor J. Dean Yap for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Polchief discussed reftel points December 3 with
Ulrike Butschek, Counselor at the Austrian mission to the
OSCE. Butschek said the GOA shares the USG's goals
concerning a ministerial declaration, and agrees that a weak
declaration would be worse than none. She said she is not
optimistic about reaching agreement on a strong statement,
and believes it likely that participants will fail to issue a
statement, as has happened in the past. The problem is not
the OSCE, but Russia, which is unlikely to make compromises
that would allow for a worthwhile declaration, she said.
2. (C) Butschek said the EU is divided into two schools of
thought concerning President Medvedev's Security Treaty
Proposal and President Sarkozy's call to discuss European
security at an OSCE summit next year. One group of EU states
believes that such a dialogue could be useful, and that the
OSCE is the appropriate venue. A second group maintains that
a security treaty should be agreed before a summit is
scheduled, and that a summit should serve only as an
opportunity to sign the document. Austria belongs to the
first group, and would likely offer to serve as host to a
summit, she said. Polchief stressed the importance of
preserving the "acquis" commitments, and the need to press
Russia to resume implementation of the CFE Treaty and allow
OSCE monitors unfettered access to South Ossetia and
Abkhazia. Butschek replied that the GOA shares those views,
but does not believe there is any way to force a change in
Russian behavior. A summit on European security seems as
good an approach as any to engage the Russians, she averred.
GIRARD-DICARLO