Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09VIENNA190
2009-02-20 11:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
AUSTRIA CAUTIOUS ON MAURITANIA, BUT SUPPORTS THE
how-toVZCZCXRO7851 RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVI #0190 0511103 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 201103Z FEB 09 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2019 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0157 RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 0034
UNCLAS VIENNA 000190
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EUN MR PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA CAUTIOUS ON MAURITANIA, BUT SUPPORTS THE
DIRECTION OF THE AU
REF: STATE 13692
Poloff conveyed the information in reftel to Andreas Rendl,
MFA Desk Officer for Africa. Rendl told Poloff he had
recently returned from a trip to Brussels, where an "intense
but inconclusive discussion" took place on Mauritania.
Austria had not yet taken a position on Mauritania sanctions,
but in principle would support at least as tough a sanctions
regime as the AU so as "not to fall behind the AU position",
Rendl said. Austria, which depends on other EU countries for
Mauritania reporting, would wait to hear the findings of the
EU Commission report scheduled for next week. Depending on
the report, Austria would determine whether the situation
warranted a change in Austria policy. Rendl added that
member states had discussed the possibility of raising
Mauritania in the Security Council, though he personally did
not believe it would occur. Embassy will report further
developments via septel.
KILNER