51. Telegram From the Embassy in Austria to the Department of State0
2001. Paris for Embassy and USRO; Brussels for BUSEC; Luxembourg for LUXCO. Reference: My telegram 1708, repeated Paris 85, Moscow 76, London 53, Brussels 8, Luxembourg 8.1 Few days ago Soviet Ambassador invited State Secretary Kreisky to dinner alone and reiterated warning he had made earlier to Chancellor Raab and to Fuchs that Austria’s association with Common Market organization would be considered violation Austria’s neutrality. Kreisky said he could understand Soviet viewpoint if Austria should be only country establishing such ties but if there were common policy of other Six vis-à-vis Common Market he could not see this would constitute departure from neutrality in view [Page 105] of Swiss and Swedish inclusion and their long history of neutrality or non-alliance.2
Austrian Government circles continue divided on question of association with any counter grouping of other Six such as suggested by British at Oslo.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 840.00/3–359. Confidential. Repeated to London, Moscow, Paris, Brussels, and Luxembourg.↩
- Telegram 1708 from Vienna, January 22, reported on Soviet objections to Austrian membership in the EEC. (ibid., 840.00/1–2259)↩
- In a speech given at Hamburg on March 19, Kreisky stated that Austria would not join the EEC due to Austria’s neutral status.↩