This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

261507Z Jan 06

UNCLAS VIENNA 000245 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR NEA, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL IS AU EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA CALLS ON FUTURE PALESTINIAN CABINET TO 
RENOUNCE VIOLENCE AND RECOGNIZE ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST 
 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
¶1.  (U) Austrian Foreign Minister (and EU Foreign Ministers 
Council chair) Ursula Plassnik issued a press release on 
January 26 welcoming the peaceful nature of the recent 
Palestinian elections and reporting that the EU election 
observers had found the election to be "fair and open."  She 
cautioned, however, that the EU would base its support of any 
future government on a renunciation of violence, commitment 
to pursue goals with purely political means and recognition 
of Israel's right to exist. Plassnik stressed that "all 
legislators who have emerged successful from the current 
elections should make a clear commitment to these goals in 
the Palestinian parliament." 
 
¶2.  (U) Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel announced that the EU 
political committee will meet in an extraordinary session 
tonight, January 26, to coordinate with the European 
Commission and prepare a unified line for the Foreign 
Ministers' meeting (GAERC) on Monday in Brussels. 
 
¶3.  (U) A senior Austrian official in Brussels told a press 
conference that Hamas remained on the EU list of terrorist 
organizations, but that the EU might "reevaluate its 
position" should Hamas "change its attitude." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Austria clearly recognizes the limits of 
its role as president of the EU Council and prefers to err on 
the side of caution.  Chancellor Schuessel and Foreign 
Minister Plassnik will want to consult at least the most 
important EU member states to reach consensus on next steps 
before going further in its public pronouncements. 
KILNER