VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #2499/01 2701317
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271317Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8666
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 002499 
 
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: September 26, 2007 
 
 
Asylum Court Will Come in 2008 
 
¶1. Contrary to the recommendations of a SPOe/OeVP expert group, 
there will be a separate asylum court - Vice Chancellor Wilhelm 
Molterer has announced that a respective decision will be made this 
year and that the new institution will begin its work in the first 
half of 2008. The intention is to reduce the number of cases that 
are currently pending. 
It was Minister of the Interior G|nther Platter who had originally 
pressed for the establishment of a separate court to deal with 
asylum cases, while the expert commission wanted to delegate the 
asylum cases to the Federal Administrative Court. The solution which 
is now favored by the government takes into consideration the 
possibility that it will be some time before comprehensive reforms 
in the judicial sector, which will include the Administrative Court, 
will be completed. Centrist daily "Die Presse" quotes the 
Vice-Chancellor as saying that he did not want to wait that long. At 
the moment, it often takes years until asylum cases can be resolved 
and the Administrative Court is often bogged down with cases. There 
is still the possibility that the newly-created court for asylum 
cases will become part of the Administrative Court once the reform 
of federal institutions has come into effect, writes the daily. 
 
Salsa Instead of Ketchup 
 
¶2. Following an invitation of the US and Australian Embassies, 
Rachel Friedberg, researcher at the University of Providence/Rhode 
Island [sic; actually, Brown University] in the areas of job markets 
and immigration, spoke at a symposium about "Migration in the 21st 
Century" in Vienna. Friedberg explained how immigration of various 
ethic groups has changed the "face" of the US, but stressed that the 
cultural changes did not irritate Americans as much as they did 
Europeans, since the US is a classic immigration country. Friedberg 
also made a case for a joint European immigration policy.  [Der 
Standard, p. 5] 
According to Friedberg, any comparison of the "Blue Card," the 
planned EU immigration card, with the US Green Card is difficult 
because of the important issue of who gets access: "Will selection 
take place on the grounds of education, family, abilities or asylum 
applications?" Friedberg explained in independent daily "Der 
Standard" that most immigration in the US takes place through family 
reunion, but it is controversial whether this is a sensible 
approach. In this connection, she referred to Canada, which tends to 
select more according to educational status. It is particularly the 
illegal immigration from Latin America that has had a strong impact 
on the development of US society, Friedberg states, citing as 
examples the strengthening of Catholicism and the strong 
conservative tendencies with regard to social issues. All in all, 
Friedberg holds that, economically speaking, immigration is valuable 
for society. The immigrants do not take away anybody's jobs, but in 
the end set up businesses of their own and thus create new jobs, 
argues the scientist, adding that there is also the pension factor 
to be considered:  In a society with a low birth rate, such as 
Austria, someone will have to pay the pensions for the citizens in 
the long run." 
 
OMV Pushes for MOL Takeover 
 
¶3. The Austrian energy supplier OMV has made a generous bid for 
taking over the Hungarian MOL. Since the management of MOL has so 
far refused to engage in negotiations and sees the Austrian bid as 
an attempt at a "hostile takeover," the OMV is now trying to tempt 
the shareholders with a good offer - it is prepared to pay about 128 
euros per share, which is 20 percent more than the current stock 
price, to bring about the alliance with MOL. The overall costs would 
be about 11 billion euros. [Neue Kronenzeitung, p. 5; other Austrian 
media] 
The OMV is hoping that the MOL shareholders will exert pressure on 
the management, writes mass circulation tabloid "Neue 
Kronenzeitung." To make it possible for the OMV to present an 
official offer, the current limitation of the voting right for each 
shareholder, which is currently at 10 percent, would have to be 
abolished. The EU Commission is already investigating whether this 
is compatible with the laws. Also, the Hungarian government would 
have to give up its attempts to block the takeover of the MOL by the 
OM using new judicial means. According to the tabloid, the 
Hungarians fear that a fusion would kill jobs. Economic daily 
"Wirtschaftsblatt" points out that the small investors in Hungary 
favor the OMV takeover and are angry with MOL for rejecting it. 
Analysts see little chances for the OMV offer as long as the 
Hungarian government does not change its mind, writes the daily. 
 
Bush Wants Mission of Freedom for UN 
 
¶4. At his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Bush 
reminded the UN of its fundamental duty, which is to bring freedom 
and democracy to the world. He urged the UN to begin a "mission of 
freedom" - "freedom from tyranny, disease, analphabetism and 
poverty." Bush used the current situation in Burma to push for 
measures against repressive regimes. [Die Presse, p. 7; other 
Austrian media] 
With regard to the reform of the UN Security Council, Bush argued in 
favor of enlargement, pointing out that Japan is very well 
positioned to become a permanent member state. The US President only 
had one sentence to spare for Iran - that might have been different 
had there not been the American disaster in Iraq, speculates 
centrist daily "Die Presse." The daily also refers to the role 
assumed by one of the formerly sharpest critics of the US 
administration, France, which has taken it upon itself to act as 
"warning voice" with regard to Iran. President Nicolas Sarkozy has 
warned the other nations:  "If we allow Iran to get its hands on 
nuclear weapons, we would incur an unacceptable risk for the 
stability of the region and the world." Sarkozy reiterated once 
again the French position which includes a ban on nuclear weapons 
for Iran, an arsenal of sanctions, and negotiations. France is even 
considering imposing bilateral economic sanctions if there will be 
no third Security Council resolution. Sarkozy also pointed out that 
Iran had the right to peaceful use of nuclear weapons, reports the 
daily. 
 
Ahmadinejad Declares End of Nuclear Conflict 
 
¶5. In his speech before the UN General Assembly, the Iranian 
President announced his intention to place his country's 
controversial nuclear program under IAEA surveillance while at the 
same time refusing to yield in the conflict about the sanctions that 
the UN Security Council has imposed on Iran. Ahmadinejad stressed 
that it is the IAEA's task to "monitor the nuclear activities of its 
member states" without pressure from the US or other countries. He 
likewise pointed out that Iran was prepared to conduct constructive 
talks with all parties, as it had done in the past. [ORF online] 
 
Military Threatens to Use Violence 
 
¶6. In Burma, the political situation is heating up ever more as the 
military junta has stepped up its efforts to stifle the protest 
movement. Aside from threats and warnings, it has now taken its 
first concrete steps to reassert its power:   It has imposed a 
curfew on the cities of Rangoon and Mandelay and has banned 
gatherings of more than five people. In the meantime, Western heads 
of government have called for further sanctions against the regime. 
US President Bush has already announced sanctions, among others 
banning members of the junta from entry to the US. [Salzburger 
Nachrichten, p. 9; other Austrian media] 
With regard to the international efforts to punish the repressive 
regime in Burma, China's role is problematic. Independent daily 
"Salzburger Nachrichten" points out that the country has been 
blocking all attempts to put one of the last remaining totalitarian 
states on the UN agenda. This makes any action on the part of the 
Security Council difficult. Centrist daily "Die Presse" lists some 
of the reasons why the Chinese are interested in not letting the 
situation in the neighboring country get out of hand:  Burma has 
what China urgently needs: natural resources, wood, oil and gas as 
well as strategically important access to the Gulf of Bengal. Also, 
at least a million Chinese live in Burma, having illegally migrated 
to the country since the nineties. Especially in the north of the 
multi-ethnic state, trade is in the meantime in Chinese hands and 
the ensuing competition leads to tensions with the local population 
- a further reason for Beijing to fear unrest in Burma. At the same 
time, China remains the most important weapons supplier for the 
junta. 
McCaw