Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08VIENNA568
2008-04-24 14:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
AUSTRIA: NEXT STEPS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS
how-toVZCZCXRO6983 RR RUEHBW RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVI #0568 1151443 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 241443Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0067 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0349 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0221 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2240 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0481 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0178 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0800 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0364 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0094 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1407 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0250 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000568
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2023
TAGS: PARM MOPS PREL AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: NEXT STEPS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS
Classified By: Econ/Pol Counselor Dean Yap. Reason: 1.4(b0 and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 000568
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2023
TAGS: PARM MOPS PREL AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: NEXT STEPS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS
Classified By: Econ/Pol Counselor Dean Yap. Reason: 1.4(b0 and (d).
1. (C) Austrian MFA Disarmament Director Alexander Marschik
outlined the status and next steps in the Oslo Process to ban
cluster munitions in a conversation with Econ/Pol Counselor
April 24. Marschik averred that the outlook for the Oslo
process was good. He noted that 39 African states had signed
up to the "Livingstone Declaration" following a regional CW
conference in the spring. Marschik described the Declaration
as calling for a very strong ban on CW. At a similar
conference in Mexico City in mid-April, Latin American
countries had also confirmed their support for a ban.
2. (C) Marschik said Austria and other core group states were
looking at the definition and interoperability issues. The
core group will meet in Geneva on April 30 to discuss these.
Marschik said the key decision to be debated would be whether
to opt for a "better" treaty that set a tough definition or
to opt for a "weaker" treaty that would attract states like
the UK, France, and Germany.
3. (C) While Marschik and Juergen Meindl, international
affairs advisor to Defense Minister Darabos, (in an April 17
conversation) assert that the Austrian military has accepted
the idea of a ban, the Director of the Army's Disarmament
Office, Col. Richard Monsberger, told Econ/Pol Counselor
April 17 that the Austrian military was hoping for a
definition that would allow systems with self-destruct
mechanisms and/or verified very low failure rates.
Monsberger also reported that the military shares many of the
interoperability concerns raised by the U.S. but discounted
by the MFA.
Kilner
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2023
TAGS: PARM MOPS PREL AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: NEXT STEPS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS
Classified By: Econ/Pol Counselor Dean Yap. Reason: 1.4(b0 and (d).
1. (C) Austrian MFA Disarmament Director Alexander Marschik
outlined the status and next steps in the Oslo Process to ban
cluster munitions in a conversation with Econ/Pol Counselor
April 24. Marschik averred that the outlook for the Oslo
process was good. He noted that 39 African states had signed
up to the "Livingstone Declaration" following a regional CW
conference in the spring. Marschik described the Declaration
as calling for a very strong ban on CW. At a similar
conference in Mexico City in mid-April, Latin American
countries had also confirmed their support for a ban.
2. (C) Marschik said Austria and other core group states were
looking at the definition and interoperability issues. The
core group will meet in Geneva on April 30 to discuss these.
Marschik said the key decision to be debated would be whether
to opt for a "better" treaty that set a tough definition or
to opt for a "weaker" treaty that would attract states like
the UK, France, and Germany.
3. (C) While Marschik and Juergen Meindl, international
affairs advisor to Defense Minister Darabos, (in an April 17
conversation) assert that the Austrian military has accepted
the idea of a ban, the Director of the Army's Disarmament
Office, Col. Richard Monsberger, told Econ/Pol Counselor
April 17 that the Austrian military was hoping for a
definition that would allow systems with self-destruct
mechanisms and/or verified very low failure rates.
Monsberger also reported that the military shares many of the
interoperability concerns raised by the U.S. but discounted
by the MFA.
Kilner