Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg's Pioneering Visits to Senegal and South Africa

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: December 20, 2023; 16:07 ♦ (Vindobona)

In an unprecedented diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was the first Austrian official to visit Senegal and South Africa, setting new impulses in Austrian-African relations and opening the 31st Austrian Cultural Forum in Pretoria.

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg opened the business forum between Austria and South Africa in Pretoria. / Picture: © BMEIA Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres / Gruber / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Austria has increased its focus on its economic and diplomatic relations with Africa, as Vindobona.org reported. Austria's export volume to Africa amounted to just 1.9 billion euros in 2021, which corresponds to 1.1% of Austria's total exports. However,…