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DE RUEHVI #0832/01 0890808
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O 300808Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6827
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/ERA - DILLE AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2017 
TAGS: EUN KPAL PREL XG IS IR ZI AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON THE MARCH 30-31 FOREIGN MINISTERS 
MEETING (GYMNICH) 
 
REF: STATE 37792 
 
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips 
 
¶1.  (SBU) EconPolCouns delivered reftel points on March 29 to 
Anreas Riecken, the Austrian MFA's European Correspondent. 
Riecken responded substantively as follows. 
 
¶2.  (C) Western Balkans:  The discussion will focus on 
Kosovo, Riecken said.  It is very clear that the EU supports 
Martti Ahtisaari's efforts.  What the EU needs to decide, 
Riecken siad, is how to proceed in an united way.  In order 
to achieve a Russian abstention in the UN Security Council, 
Riecken reasoned, the text on Kosovo will probably have to be 
rather weak and vague, serving as a basis for Kosovo to 
declare independence.  In that case, it will be crucial for 
the EU to act in a united way to recognize Kosovo.  This 
would not be easy, he said:  important voices in Slovakia, 
Hungary and Romania opposed this result.  The Rule of Law 
mission was an important step, he added.  An EU preparatory 
team is currently in Kosovo to assess the situation.  The 
mission would be the largest civil ESDP mission ever, with 
some 1,400 police and judges.  Austria would participate, 
folding its current police trainers in UNMIK over to the ESDP 
mission, and identifying judges to serve. 
 
¶3.  (C) Middle East:  Israeli-Palestinian Issues:  Ministers 
will discuss th eissue of how to deal with the Palestinian 
National Unity Government (NUG), Riecken said.  Austria 
supports giving the NUG "a chance," and maintaining contacts 
with non-Hamas members of the government.  (Note:  In that 
connection, MFA Middle East and Africa Director Ralph Scheide 
told us on March 29 that NUG Foreign Minister Abu Amr would 
visit Vienna for meetings on April 4.  Scheide said Austrian 
FM Ursula Plassnik had met with Abu Amr in December, and had 
found him a reasonable figure -- and one who enjoys the 
complete support of President Abu Mazen.  Scheide shared with 
us (please protect) the key text of a letter Abu Amr sent to 
Plassnik accepting her invitation to visit Vienna.  The 
letter, dated March 22, says, in part, "The new government 
has expressed its commitment to honor the agreements which 
the Palestine Liberation Organization signed with Israel. 
After your statements of encouragement and support, the 
government feels additionally obliged to synchronize its 
positions and conduct on the ground with the wisehs, demands 
and resolutions of the international community.  The 
government will also exert its utmost effort to ensure the 
safe release of the Isreaeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in the 
context of an honorable and fair prisoner exchange 
arrangement.  The new government has committed itself to work 
hard towards consolidating the current truce with Israel and 
towards expanding this truce to become comprehensive and 
reciprocal.  I would like to assure you that I, personally, 
will exert maximum effort to achieve these goals."  Scheide 
noted that the NUG had not yet fulfilled the three principles 
(renunciation of violence, recognition of Israel and 
acceptance of Quartet agreements), but he said the Austrians 
believed Abu Amr was a figure who could move the NUG toward 
doing so.  End note.) 
 
¶4.  (C) European Neighborhood Policy:  Riecken said there was 
a particular interest in developing cooperation among the 
states bordering the Black Sea and the Danube basin.  This 
offered a unique forum in which to involve EU countries, 
Russia, Turkey and the Caucasus in common activity, he said. 
 
¶5.  (C) Zimbabwe:  This was not among the topics listed in 
the Presidency's letter of invitation to the Gymnich meeting, 
Riecken noted.  However, many expected British Foreign 
Secretary Beckett to raise Zimbabwe under "any other 
 
SIPDIS 
business."  In any event, there would probably not be enough 
time to engage in a thorough discussion of the issue, he 
added. 
 
¶6.  (C) Missile Defense:  Riecken said it was his 
understanding that FM Plassnik "has no intention" of raising 
Missile Defense (MD) at the Gymnich.  He added that he 
thought reports of her intervention at the recent GAERC lunch 
were overblown.  Plassnik did not, in fact, express 
opposition to MD plans, he asserted.  Instead, she noted that 
her ministry had received public expressions of concern, and 
she asked for further information.  She also said that MD was 
not an EU issue, but was a bilateral matter between the U.S. 
and participating countries.  Riecken said the Czech Republic 
and Poland agreed to provide such information. 
 
 
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¶7.  (C) Darfur, Congo:  Riecken reported "rumors" that the UK 
would raise Darfur under "any other business."  Likewise, he 
said he had heard that Belgium wanted to raise the recent 
riots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under that 
heading. 
Kilner