INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Visa Waiver Program: Austria Requests Extension

Published: Wed 14 Sep 2005 02:44 PM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS VIENNA 003064
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/VO, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CVIS CMGT PGOV FR IT AU EUN
SUBJECT: VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: AUSTRIA REQUESTS EXTENSION
REFS: A) STATE 162157 B) PARIS 6169 C) ROME 3038 D)
VIENNA 2987
1. (SBU) Secretary General Johannes Kyrle (the third-
ranking MFA official) raised the issue of the Visa Waiver
Program (VWP) as the first order of business in his
meeting with visiting EUR PDAS Kurt Volker. In a follow-
up to Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik's pointed comments
to Ambassador and DCM on September 7 (ref D), as well as
the FM's meeting with Secretary Rice on September 9,
Kyrle noted that a requirement that Austrian citizens
with passports issued after October 26 apply for visas
would create significant domestic political problems for
Chancellor Schuessel's government and place a burden on
U.S.-Austrian relations at a sensitive time.
2. (SBU) On the positive side, Kyrle said that Austria
expected to be able to issue fully compliant passports -
with both a digital photo and a biometric microchip - by
March 2006. However, his Interior Ministry colleagues
had informed him that Austria could not possibly meet the
October 26, 2005 deadline for digitized photos.
3. (SBU) In view of Austria moving to full Level 2
compliance months before the deadline, Kyrle said,
Austria would enormously appreciate it if the U.S.
administration would ensure that Austria could continue
to participate fully in the VWP during the intervening
time (until March 2006). Kyrle assured us that Austria
would also provide full cooperation on information-
sharing regarding lost and stolen passports and other
passport security issues. Kyrle added that ForMin
Plassnik would be writing to Secretary Rice asking for
her help in obtaining an extension of the deadline for
Level I compliance.
4. (SBU) PDAS Volker responded that Secretaries Chertoff
and Rice would be the appropriate recipients of such a
request. Given the legislative history of the biometric
requirement, however, he anticipated that it would be
difficult to persuade the U.S. Congress of the
desirability of further extensions. Volker and
Ambassador Brown urged the GoA to prepare public
information campaigns about the coming changes to the
Visa Waiver Program, along with actions to mitigate the
impact. For example, it might be possible for parliament
to amend Austria's passport laws to permit extensions of
expiring passports. The government could also actively
encourage prospective travelers to apply for new
passports for issuance before the October 26 deadline.
BROWN
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