VZCZCXYZ0013
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #1363/01 1431313
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231313Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7388
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 001363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR YVETTE SAINT-ANDRE 
 
OSD FOR COMMANDER CHAFFEE 
 
WHITEHOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: May 23, 2007 
 
 
Lengthy Eurofighter Tests 
 
¶1. The quality control test for the first Eurofighter jets for the 
Austrian armed forces will take longer than the usual testing period 
of two days, a spokesperson for Eurofighter told the Austrian Press 
Agency yesterday. This is "not unusual," however, given that it is 
the first interceptor earmarked for Austria to be tested, 
Wolfdietrich Hoeveler added, according to Austrian Press Agency APA. 
 
 
 
Town Signs Back on the Agenda 
 
¶2. Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Carinthian Governor 
Joerg Haider are meeting today to discuss ways to resolve the 
controversy over bi-lingual town signs in Austria's southernmost 
province. The Chancellor is optimistic his "specific proposal" will 
make it possible to solve the issue before summer, Austrian media 
report, ORF online news wrote. 
 
 
Ambassador Gives Interview in Tyrol 
 
¶3. In an interview with an Austrian regional daily, US Ambassador 
Susan McCaw increased pressure on Austrian energy provider OMV, 
criticizing the company for its planned natural gas deal with Iran. 
 
In an interview with regional Austrian daily Tiroler Tageszeitung, 
US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw explained the US government's 
misgivings over energy provider OMV's planned business deal with 
Iran. Ambassador McCaw said that "currently, the US is looking into 
whether sanctions can be imposed [against OMV under the Iran 
Sanctions Act]. In Congress there has been a lot of criticism of 
OMV's Iran deal." The matter has "definitely" caused a stir, not 
only in Austria, but also in Washington, the Ambassador confirmed. 
Ambassador McCaw also said that "under normal circumstances the 
issue would be addressed via our discussion channels with OMV and 
the Austrian government. But since the issue has been generating a 
lot of attention in the media, I decided to publicly explain our 
position. It is currently an important topic in our relations with 
Austria." Despite the tensions over the OMV's Iran deal, the 
Ambassador describes US-Austrian relations as "quite positive. There 
are difficult situations or aspects in every relationship. 99 
percent of the time you agree, but then something comes up that one 
of you considers questionable or important." Regarding the possible 
outcome of the OMV tensions, the Ambassador said that OMV "is a 
private company; it does what it does. They know that legally we 
cannot stop them. But we can emphasize the political fallout of such 
(business) arrangements. They undermine the sanctions against Iran, 
but more importantly, they are taking away the economic incentives 
we have offered Iran. We've told Iran: If you genuinely stop uranium 
enrichment and return to the negotiating table, we'll offer you 
economic commitment. But if OMV simply ignores that and goes ahead 
and does business with Iran - of course, something like that 
undermines our incentives." 
 
 
 
 
 
American Corner for Innsbruck 
 
¶4. Austrian mass-circulation daily Kurier for Tyrol reported that US 
Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw opened the first American Corner 
(ACI) in Austria at the University of Innsbruck on Monday. The ACI 
is to be a hub for all issues concerning the United States, the head 
of the American Corner, Professor Gudrun Grabher explained. 
 
 
Delta's Austrian Destination 
 
¶5. ORF television's regional news program Wien Heute on March 22 
reported that as the first US carrier, Delta Airlines launched a 
direct flight service from the US to Austria. As of Tuesday, Delta 
will offer flights connecting Vienna and Atlanta five times a week. 
US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw, who attended the ceremony to 
inaugurate the new route and welcome the first Delta plane's arrival 
in Vienna, emphasized that the connection is "good for tourism and 
business, and will bring the two countries closer together." 
 
 
Putin in Vienna 
 
¶6. Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive for a two-day 
official visit in Vienna today. Talks with President Heinz Fischer 
and Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer are expected to cover bilateral 
economic ties as well as international issues such as the future 
status of Kosovo and concerns over the situations in Iraq and Iran. 
Austrian leaders have also said they will address issues of human 
rights and democracy in Russia. Austrian media do not believe, 
however, that a breakthrough on any critical issues will be 
achieved. 
All Austrian media prominently report on the upcoming visit of 
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Vienna. Semi-official daily 
Wiener Zeitung suggests that the Russian President may have been 
hoping his second visit to Austria will be a pragmatic and informal 
one. But there are major issues on the agenda for Putin's meetings 
with Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Foreign Minister Ursula 
Plassnik. There will be a number of protests during the visit of the 
Russian President, including one by Reporters without Borders 
calling for greater press freedom in Russia. Putin will be 
accompanied by his wife, Ludmilla, on his visit. Mass-circulation 
daily Kurier published an interview with UN special rapporteur for 
torture, Manfred Nowak, who said Russia is on the list of countries 
where basic human rights are threatened. There is "urgent need for 
action," as the situation in Russia has deteriorated in the past few 
years, Nowak stressed. Representatives of NGOs and journalists have 
been the victims of intimidation tactics aimed at restricting their 
freedom of speech. The murder of Anna Politkovskaya was merely "the 
tip of the iceberg," Nowak stressed, adding that there was a lot of 
political pressure on the judiciary. 
In mass-circulation tabloid Oesterreich, Foreign Minister Ursula 
Plassnik discussed Russian-EU relations, and emphasized that the EU 
had a vested interest in good relations with Russia. Regarding 
Austria, "tourism and the economic dynamics are impressive examples 
of good Austrian-Russian relations," she said. A secure, lasting 
partnership between the EU and Russia is in the interests of both 
sides, and "something we will continue to work on," Plassnik added. 
 
 
 
Lebanon Unrest Continues 
 
¶7. Thousands of people have fled from a refugee camp in northern 
Lebanon after three days of heavy fighting between Lebanese troops 
and militants from the Fatah al Islam group. Dozens of soldiers, 
civilians and militants have been killed in the fighting. The UN 
head of humanitarian affairs has appealed to both sides to allow aid 
into the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli. The Lebanese 
leadership has also asked Washington for additional military aid. 
According to State Department spokesperson Sean McCormick, the US 
government is currently looking into the request from Beirut. 
 
 
Democrats Drop Iraq Pullout Plan 
 
¶8. Democrat leaders in the US Congress have abandoned plans to link 
support for a bill funding the US military efforts in Iraq to a 
timetable for troop withdrawal. The Democrats' decision followed the 
release of previously classified material showing Osama bin-Laden 
asking the head of al Qaeda in Iraq to target the US. Austrian media 
see the Democrats' move as a partial victory for the US President, 
says centrist daily Die Presse. 
McCaw