Weekly Briefing: Newest Developments in Diplomacy and Vienna

More+ ♦ Published: June 23, 2022; 23:36 ♦ (Vindobona)

Read about the newest developments in Diplomacy in Vienna and Austria. Further, Austria is strengthening its efforts in aiding Ukraine, international politics and local grievances. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov visited Iran. The Find out more about this week's developments.

Take five minutes to catch up on this week’s essential news! / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Filip Nohe [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.de)], modified and edited

Russo-Ukrainian War

Archbishop Franz Lackner, president of the Austrian Bishops' Conference, will travel to Ukraine in July with Styrian Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl. This was announced by the Bishops' Conference at the end of its summer plenary session.

In the course of the current programme of visits by Ukrainian politicians to Austria, Austria promised further support in the war against Russia. In addition to unwavering solidarity, the Ukrainian population is to benefit from further humanitarian aid.

Iran Nuclear Talks

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Iran for a visit. He first met with President Ebrahim Raisi in the capital Tehran and will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. Iran Nuclear Talks will also play a significant role in Lavrov's visit since both countries are trying to find a way to avoid further sanctions by the West.

International Organizations in Vienna

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons wants to ban the possession of Nuclear Weapons in the world. Member states of the treaty met today in Vienna for the first time to convene about further developments.

Reports of sexual violence against women and girls in the Ukraine war have been circulating in the media for some time. Now OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid has spoken out and called for an immediate end to these crimes.

Diplomacy in Vienna and the World

Libyan Foreign Minister Najla El-Mangoush is on a working visit to Vienna.The Foreign Minister of Libya, Najla El-Mangoush, was received today by Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

The Republic of Korea and Austria are celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations today. The two close partners have exchanged more and more intensively, especially in the recent past.

Austria wants to further expand its diplomatic relations at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka. To this end, Ursula Plassnik, former Foreign Minister and experienced diplomat, has now been appointed an official representative for EXPO 2025.

Austria sees the EU Commission's proposal to grant Ukraine and Moldova the status of EU accession candidates as a historic opportunity as a clear signal of the EU's strength. Nevertheless, Austria also has a responsibility towards the Western Balkans and should not ignore them.

The Three Seas Initiative met in Riga. Austria and eleven other Central Eastern European countries accepted Ukraine as a member of the Three Seas Initiative at the Presidential Summit in Riga. Austrian President Van der Bellen traveled to Riga and appealed for unity against Russia.

What Else Happened This Week?

Vienna is once again the world's most liveable city. In a ranking by the "Economist", Vienna has once again taken the top spot for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and is very pleased. The city came out on top in a field of 140 cities around the world.

The new cooperation "TOGETHER.SAFE" is intended to create a dialogue between the police and the Jewish community. The Jewish Religious Community and the Austrian Ministry of the Interior launched the initiative.

Heated debates recently took place in Vienna's provincial parliament when the parties jointly discussed making it easier to obtain Austrian citizenship. Besides fears that such a facilitation would "devalue" Austrian citizenship, there was also a lot of support and calls for a more open Austria.

The Mellach heating power plant in Styria, which is currently shut down, is to be converted so that electricity and heat can be generated there again from coal in an emergency.

Every year on 20 June, World Refugee Day takes place to draw attention to flight and displacement. This year, the focus is on the staggering number of over 100 million displaced people worldwide - the highest number ever recorded according to UNHCR.

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