Putin and Van der Bellen Open Sochi Dialogue Forum

PeoplePoliticians ♦ Published: May 15, 2019; 17:55 ♦ (Vindobona)

The Sochi Dialogue Russian Austrian Forum was opened in the Black Sea port city as part of a working discussion between Russian and Austrian representatives from politics, business, science, education, art and culture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen gave speeches in Sochi during the opening ceremony of the Sochi Dialogue Russian Austrian Forum. / Picture: © Österreichische Präsidentschaftskanzlei / Peter Lechner/HBF

Relations between Russia and Austria are regarded as good, despite the annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula five years ago in violation of international law and subsequent EU sanctions against Russia.

Even the Russian espionage incident in the Austrian armed forces in…