AUSTRIA: OUTREACH ON LONDON CONFERENCE

UNCLAS VIENNA 000100 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/SRAP (BLANC),SCA/A (GRAMAGLIA AND COBERLY),AND EUR/CE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN AF AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: OUTREACH ON LONDON CONFERENCE REF: A. SECSTATE 6355 ¶B. VIENNA 65 ¶1. Polchief raised reftel A points January 26 with Bruno Bilek, MFA Deputy Director for East Asia. Bilek said MFA Secretary General Johannes Kyrle will represent the GOA at the London Conference. He said Kyrle will be prepared to announce Austria's contributions to the Afghanistan mission if an opportunity arises during the conference, but it is not clear whether that will be the case. The GOA did not request a speaking slot for the event. ¶2. Bilek noted that the GOA is preparing to send police trainers to the EUPOL mission in Afghanistan and to provide funding for a number of UN and OSCE-related projects (reftel B). On January 25, the Council of Ministers designated 1 million Euros in leftover disaster relief funds for humanitarian aid for Afghanistan (the remaining 2 million Euros were designated for Haiti). Bilek said the GOA supports the reintegration program and is considering the possibility of contributing to the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund. It is not clear whether the leftover disaster relief funds, which are earmarked for humanitarian assistance, can be used for the Trust Fund. If not, the GOA could make a contribution from other sources if funding is available, he said. ¶3. The GOA is also supporting an Afghanistan Implementation Conference to be held February 25-28 in Baden, near Vienna. Princeton University's Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination is organizing the event, which will be designed as a follow-up to the London Conference. FM Spindelegger is scheduled to attend. EACHO