Vienna, 30/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - As we have already pointed out, the Three Wisemen responsible for drafting a report to the Fourteen on the political situation in Austria with a view to possibly lifting the bilateral sanctions against Vienna, met, on Tuesday in Heidelberg, the President of FPÖ and Austrian Vice Chancellor Susanne Riess-Passer. The latter, who discussed with them for two hours, expressed regret when speaking to the press that the Wisemen had not met Jörg Haider as, she said, "many things centre on his person". After the meeting, one of the Wisemen, Mr Frowein, Director of the Max-Planck-Institut where the meeting was held, said he hoped the final report would be ready in about one month.
Furthermore, the Wisemen - Mr Ahtisaari and Mr Oreja together with Mr Frowein - also met, on Tuesday in Heidelberg, twenty NGO representatives who mainly deplored the treatment of those who criticise the government in Austria. The Platform of social EU NGOs welcomed participation in this meeting, recalling that it had written to President Chirac to express regret that it had not so far been invited to express its views before the Wisemen.
At the European Parliament, CDU elected member Hartmut Nassauer affirmed that the report by the Wisemen must comprise clear recommendations. He felt that, in future, "the conflicts within the EU should be settled only in the context of the European treaties" and not through bilateral sanctions.