Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09VIENNA558
2009-05-08 12:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
Austria's Strategic Repositioning of Embassies/Consulates
VZCZCXRO9719 RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHVI #0558 1281251 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 081251Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2537 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0353 RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT 0081 RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0404 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0485 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0359
UNCLAS VIENNA 000558
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AMGT ODIP AU
SUBJECT: Austria's Strategic Repositioning of Embassies/Consulates
UNCLAS VIENNA 000558
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AMGT ODIP AU
SUBJECT: Austria's Strategic Repositioning of Embassies/Consulates
1. Austria will open a new embassy in Baku,
Azerbaijan, with construction beginning by the end of
2009, as part of a strategic decision to support
Austria's growing energy business and other activities
in the Caucasus/Caspian region. Foreign Minister
Michael Spindelegger said the new embassy would
"noticeably strengthen our presence in the Black Sea
region, which has great potential in political and
economic terms, as well as from the viewpoint of
energy policy." (NOTE: The planned Nabucco gas
pipeline, led by Austrian energy company OMV, is
competing to secure initial gas volumes from
Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field).
2. While budgeted to receive a slight increase in
2009 and 2010, the Ministry is reorganizing four of
its overseas operations in order to reduce
administrative costs. Specifically, the MFA will
close its embassy in Muscat (Oman) in 2009, but will
add staff to the embassy in Abu Dhabi (UAE) to
compensate. Likewise, Austrian Consulates General in
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Cape Town (South Africa)
will close in 2009 and 2010 respectively, with those
personnel to be added to the Honorary Consulate in San
Paulo and the embassy in Pretoria. Austria's
Consulate-General staff in Hamburg will move to
Frankfurt in 2010.
3. Worldwide, the Austrian MFA operates 81 bilateral
embassies, 14 consular offices, and multilateral
missions in Brussels (EU),New York (UN),Geneva (UN),
Strasbourg (Council of Europe),and Vienna (IAEA and
UNIDO).
KILNER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AMGT ODIP AU
SUBJECT: Austria's Strategic Repositioning of Embassies/Consulates
1. Austria will open a new embassy in Baku,
Azerbaijan, with construction beginning by the end of
2009, as part of a strategic decision to support
Austria's growing energy business and other activities
in the Caucasus/Caspian region. Foreign Minister
Michael Spindelegger said the new embassy would
"noticeably strengthen our presence in the Black Sea
region, which has great potential in political and
economic terms, as well as from the viewpoint of
energy policy." (NOTE: The planned Nabucco gas
pipeline, led by Austrian energy company OMV, is
competing to secure initial gas volumes from
Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field).
2. While budgeted to receive a slight increase in
2009 and 2010, the Ministry is reorganizing four of
its overseas operations in order to reduce
administrative costs. Specifically, the MFA will
close its embassy in Muscat (Oman) in 2009, but will
add staff to the embassy in Abu Dhabi (UAE) to
compensate. Likewise, Austrian Consulates General in
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Cape Town (South Africa)
will close in 2009 and 2010 respectively, with those
personnel to be added to the Honorary Consulate in San
Paulo and the embassy in Pretoria. Austria's
Consulate-General staff in Hamburg will move to
Frankfurt in 2010.
3. Worldwide, the Austrian MFA operates 81 bilateral
embassies, 14 consular offices, and multilateral
missions in Brussels (EU),New York (UN),Geneva (UN),
Strasbourg (Council of Europe),and Vienna (IAEA and
UNIDO).
KILNER