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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENNA 000540 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR INL, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI AND EUR/AGS 
DOJ FOR BRUCE SWARTZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER KCRM SNAR EFIN ETTC AU EUN
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN EU PRESIDENCY JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS 
AGENDA -- U.S.-EU-RUSSIA PROPOSED 
 
REF: USEU BRUSSELS 442 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: The Austrians have organized a broad range 
of law enforcement and counterterrorism-related meetings and 
seminars during their EU Presidency from January - June 2006. 
 The recently adopted (December 6, 2005) EU Council paper on 
"A Strategy for the External Dimension of JHA: Global 
Freedom, Security and Justice" (15446/05) lays out an 
ambitious agenda for tackling international crime and 
corruption, asylum and immigration, and terrorism.  In fact, 
the Presidency's second largest event will be the May 4-5 
Ministerial on the role of internal security in relations 
between the EU and neighbors -- to which the GoA has invited 
some 75 Ministers from over 40 countries, including Attorney 
General Gonzales and DHS Secretary Chertoff.  In a new 
development, Interior Ministry officials have inquired 
whether the U.S. would be interested in a U.S.-EU-Russia 
ministerial on the margins of the May 4-5 meeting.  In the 
MoI concept, a possible outcome of such a meeting would be a 
"Security Partnership," perhaps modeled on NATO's Partnership 
for Peace, but focused on law enforcement and 
counterterrorism cooperation.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Austrian JHA Priorities 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Austrian JHA priorities for their Presidency include: 
 
-- Implementation of the JHA External Strategy 
-- Promoting the fight against organized crime and corruption 
-- Strengthening the fight against Terrorism 
-- Facilitating the accession of new member states to the 
Schengen Agreement 
-- Improving Cooperation related to Asylum, Migration and 
Border Management 
-- Developing enhanced EU capabilities for crisis and 
disaster management 
 
Our Interior Ministry contacts said they were particularly 
interested in working with the U.S. on the first three 
priorities 
 
May 4-5 Ministerial Meeting - A Work in Progress 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3.  (U)  Preparations for the May 4-5 Ministerial on "The 
Role of Internal Security in Relations Between the EU and its 
Neighbors" are underway.  A complication is a recent decision 
to invite EUROMED countries in addition to Balkan and other 
"European Neighborhood" countries.  The conference will 
follow up on the January 24-25 Ministerial in Brussels on 
Migration Management (reftel), but will cover a broader range 
of issues.  The GoA expects some 75 Ministers from 40 
countries to participate.  EU External Relations Commissioner 
Ferrero-Waldner will also attend.  While the conference will 
highlight the Western Balkans, the decision to invite EUROMED 
countries has expanded the agenda.  Official invitations are 
on the way to the 25 EU Member States (EU-25) and candidate 
states, as well as "Barcelona Process" (Mediterranean) and 
other third countries, including the U.S. and Russia. 
Organizers are planning for over 300 participants. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Panel Discussions: The meeting will consist of three 
simultaneous panels: 1) Asylum and Migration; 2) 
International Crime and Corruption and 3) Counter-Terrorism. 
Austrian Interior Minister Prokop discussed the panel format 
with her EU-25 colleagues during pre-Presidency travels to 
the various member states.  There will apparently be both 
ministers and expert participants on the Panels. 
 
¶5.  (U)  The Vienna Declaration:  Initial drafting has begun 
on an outcome document for Ministers' approval.  It will 
consist of a general, non-controversial preamble setting out 
the need to combat illegal immigration, organized crime and 
corruption and terrorism.  A second part will outline the 
results of the three panel discussions and a third may set 
down recommendations for future action.  In March, the 
Presidency expects to coordinate the initial draft within the 
EU-25.  The Presidency also expects to have discussions on 
the Ministerial planning and program with third country 
participants in March. 
 
New Proposal for a U.S.-EU-Russia JHA Ministerial Troika 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6. (SBU)  According to the Austrians, the Russian Minister of 
Interior has accepted an invitation to attend the May 4-5 
Ministerial.  After discussions with the Council Secretariat 
(Giles de Kerchove), the Austrians have proposed a meeting on 
the morning of May 4 between senior-level U.S. participants 
(AG Gonzales), the EU, and the Russian Minister of the 
Interior.  The meeting would be within the general framework 
of the EU's JHA External Strategy.  The Austrians have 
suggested that issues for discussion might include 
Counter-terrorism, cyber-crime, TIP, document security, and 
combating drugs.  They have proposed a press conference to 
follow the meeting.  The MoI officials see such a meeting as 
laying the groundwork for a possible U.S.-EU-Russian 
"Security Partnership," perhaps modeled after NATO's 
Partnership for Peace, but focused on JHA issues.  The 
Austrians have told us that they have not spoken to the 
Russians about this yet, and will not do so until they 
receive a U.S. response. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Embassy Comment: We understand that this proposal 
may have originated with the EU Council Secretariat.  The 
Austrian Council of Ministers (Chancellor Schuessel's 
cabinet) may not have cleared it yet.  However, we think it 
unlikely that MFA or other Austrian ministries would block a 
proposal that both the USG and the Russians found agreeable. 
End Comment. 
 
Action-oriented External Security Papers: 
Core Element of the new JHA External Strategy 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U)  As a part of the EU's new JHA External Security 
Strategy, but on a separate track from the Internal Security 
Ministerial planning, the Austrians have agreed to produce 
three "short, concrete, and punchy" action-oriented papers of 
5-6 pages on 1) the fight against crime and corruption in the 
Western Balkans;  2) strengthening the fight against Afghan 
drugs; and 3) promoting dialogue with African states on 
migration.  They have left two other proposed papers, on 
strengthening the fight against counter-terrorism with 
African states and discussions with Russia on implementation 
of the EU-Russian "common spaces", to the July-December 2006 
Finnish EU Presidency.  The papers have three sections - 1) 
analysis and objectives, 2) EU and Member State projects and 
activities related to the subject and 3) action 
recommendations. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  The Austrians believe they can complete the papers 
on crime and corruption in the Western Balkans and combating 
Afghan drugs by June (there will be an internal February 27 
meeting in Brussels to discuss the Afghan drugs paper).  They 
are not sure, however, that they will be able to finish the 
paper on dialogue with the African states on migration.  They 
are producing initial drafts and coordinating these with the 
Council Secretariat and the Commission.  The Austrians are 
also forming a Friends of the Presidency group to include 
interested member states who are willing to work on the 
papers.  They plan to discuss the results of that 
coordination process with the other countries involved, 
although they are still deliberating on when to do that.  One 
thought is to discuss the Western Balkans paper with those 
states on the margins of the May 4-5 Ministerial. 
 
¶10.  (U) Other Meetings and Seminars: 
 
March 14-17 AGIS Expert workshop in Vienna on "Trafficking in 
children/minors".  We understand that two U.S. 
representatives from law enforcement have been invited to 
participate in this conference. 
 
May 31 - 2 June AGIS expert workshop in Vienna on "Drug 
Trafficking on the Balkan route."  Prokop invited DEA 
Administrator Tandy to attend this workshop following the 
Minister's October visit to the U.S.  According to the 
Austrian Ministry of Interior, DEA Administrator Tandy is 
considering participating as a keynote speaker on the drug 
trafficking situation in Afghanistan and along the Balkan 
route. 
 
May 19 Senior Expert Conference on "Radicalization and 
Recruitment: Dialogue of cultures and religions.  Planning 
for this is continuing.  The objective is to compare the 
success of various integration models, using France, 
Bosnia-Herzogovina, Austria and the U.S. as examples.  The 
Austrian organizers are thinking of inviting the Italian 
Minister of Interior and perhaps a UN representative familiar 
with the Turkish-proposed "Alliance of Civilizations."  They 
would also be interested in inviting a U.S. expert from 
either the government, academia, or the private sector. 
 
June 8-9 International Liaison Officers Conference on the 
Western Balkans in Belgrade.  Although Minister Prokop 
initially invited FBI Director Mueller to attend, it appears 
that senior working-level FBI participation would be more 
appropriate. 
 
June 22-23 Expert workshop in Trier on Organized Crime and 
Corruption.  According to our MoI contacts, this event is on 
hold pending adequate funding and expert participation. 
 
The Prum Treaty 
--------------- 
 
¶11.  (U)  MoI mentioned that that Austria is pushing for 
additional EU signatories to the Prum Treaty signed on May 
27, 2005 by Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Luxembourg, 
Belgium and the Netherlands.  The agreement to practical 
cross-border cooperation in information exchange, 
Counter-terrorism cooperation and joint cross-border policing 
operations.  The GoA hopes that technical requirements 
required for the treaty to enter into force will be completed 
by July 2006. 
McCaw