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Vienna's Foreign and Bilateral Relations
Read the latest headlines about bilateral relations in the areas of economy, business, diplomacy, culture and tourism between Austria and its partners
Ai Weiwei at the Albertina Modern: "In Search of Humanity"
A new exhibition at the Albertina Modern entitled "In Search of Humanity" will display works by renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. Learn more about the new exhibition and see some of the pieces that will be on display.
February 2, 2022
Armenia and Austria Strengthen Bilateral Ties
Foreign Minister Schallenberg is visiting Armenia in an attempt to strengthen bilateral ties. Read about Austrian-Armenian relations and Schallenberg's trip, which includes meetings with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.
February 2, 2022
Nuclear Watchdog Steps Up Drive to Strengthen Global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is seeking to convince more countries to join in giving IAEA inspectors wider access to locations and information as part of a push to further bolster the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
February 2, 2022
Russian Ambassador in Vienna Delivers Message from Lavrov on Security Guarantees in Europe to Schallenberg
Russian Ambassador to Vienna H.E. Dmitry Lyubinsky has delivered a message about "Moscow's position on mutual security guarantees" from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg.
February 1, 2022
U.S. Ambassador Laura Holgate Presented Her Credentials to the United Nations Office at Vienna
Professional U.S. diplomat with expertise in nonproliferation, nuclear deterrence, nuclear security, disarmament, nuclear energy and other related areas becomes ambassador at a time when Europe is facing the greatest threat of war since World War II.
February 1, 2022
Mandatory Covid Vaccination in Austria: Foreign Diplomats Not Covered
The vaccination requirement in Austria does not generally apply to foreign diplomats who live in Austria and are exempt from the registration requirement under the Registration Act. Details in the following article.
February 1, 2022
German and Austrian EU Ministers Supportive of Accession Process for Western Balkans
German EU Minister Anna Lührmann met with Austrian EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler in Vienna. Read what they said about EU accession for the Western Balkan states, compulsory vaccination, and more.
February 1, 2022
Official State Visit of the King and Queen of Spain to Austria
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were in Austria on an official state visit. The royal couple was received by President Van der Bellen at the Hofburg in Vienna. Read about their visit and the opening of the new Salvador Dali exhibition at Belvedere.
February 1, 2022
Tourism in Austria: Number of Overnight Stays at the Level of 1970
Corona-related business closures and international travel restrictions continued to hit tourism in Austria hard in 2021. The number of arrivals by foreign guests fell by a further 15.6% in 2021 compared with the first pandemic year of 2020. Germans stayed 16.6% less, Dutch 41.4%, and Swiss and Liechtensteiners 36.6% less.
February 1, 2022
How Close Are We to War Between Russia and the Ukraine?
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine remain very high, and some have called a Russian invasion imminent. Read what Nina L. Kruscheva, an expert on Russia and international affairs, said about the likelihood of a war between Russia and Ukraine.
January 31, 2022
Which Migration Issues to Watch for in 2022
2022 will be another challenging year for EU migration policy. The Vienna based International Centre for Migration Policy Development presents a brief analysis of migration and policy trends and provides an outlook on developments and events to watch out.
January 31, 2022
Austrian Airlines Relaunches Non-stop Flights to Los Angeles in Summer 2022
Starting in mid-May, Austrian Airlines will once again offer a direct flight between Vienna and Los Angeles to the U.S. West Coast. From 20 May, Austrian Airlines will fly five times a week to L.A.
January 31, 2022
"National Carrier" in German Ownership is Proud to Fly the Austrian Olympic Team to Beijing
The "Austrian Airlines" aircraft with flight number OS63, chartered by the Austrian Olympic Team, took off from Vienna Airport to bring athletes including comprehensive equipment non-stop to Beijing.
January 28, 2022
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Schallenberg Visit Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial Site
On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2022, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited the Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial together with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Governor Thomas Stelzer.
January 27, 2022
Vienna Nuclear Talks: Direct Contacts between Tehran and Washington Possible
Iranian leadership has suggested that Iran may be open to meeting directly with U.S. officials for negotiations to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal. Read about this significant stance change and what it means for the JCPOA.
January 27, 2022
EU Council President in Vienna: "Situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border worrisome"
European Council President Charles Michel was in Vienna to discuss the tense situation at Ukraine's border and other pressing issues with Chancellor Nehammer. Read about their discussion.
January 27, 2022
Expo 2020 Dubai: Austria's Youth Showcase Their Innovation
The four teams that won Austria's "Innovative Youth" competition will get to showcase their projects at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Read about the competition and what the winning projects were.
January 27, 2022
United Nations: Guterres Appoints Volker Türk of Austria Under-Secretary-General for Policy in His Executive Office
Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Austrian lawyer and UN official as Under-Secretary-General for Policy in his Executive Office.
January 26, 2022
#WeRemember: Heads of Austrian, German, and Israeli Parliaments Meet Ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day
German Bundestag President Bärbel Bas and Israeli Knesset President Mickey Levy recently met with Austrian National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka in Berlin to discuss the fight against anti-Semitism and the #WeRemember campaign. Read about their meeting and this important campaign ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
January 26, 2022
Brussels: Schallenberg Attends Ukraine Crisis Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers
Foreign Minister Schallenberg attended a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The meeting, which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also attended virtually, focused on the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Read about the meeting and watch an interview with Foreign Minister Schallenberg.
January 26, 2022
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About China's Permanent Mission to the UN and Other International Organizations in Vienna
The villa and park complex at Hohe Warte in Vienna Döbling, which was sold to the People's Republic of China in 2013 for a reported € 21 million, and in which its UN embassy has been located since 2020 under the leadership of H.E. Ambassador Wang Qun, has a storied ownership history and already belonged to Hungarian-Habsburg high aristocrats, Yugoslavian war criminals and the City of Vienna, which used it as an orphanage and in which sexual child abuse was carried out.
January 25, 2022
Meet the New Ambassadors of Congo, Bhutan, Burundi and Djibouti to Austria
The new Ambassadors of Congo, Bhutan, Burundi, and Djibouti to Austria presented their credentials to President Van der Bellen. Learn more about these new ambassadors.
January 25, 2022
European Leaders Take Unified Position Against Russian Aggression Against Ukraine
Several heads of state - including Ursula von der Leyen, Jens Stoltenberg, Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Mario Draghi, Charles Michel and Polish President Andrzej Duda, representing the Chairmanship of the OSCE - took part in a virtual meeting organised by the President of the United States Joe Biden, on Russia’s continued military build-up in and around Ukraine and its implications for European and international security.
January 24, 2022
C.I.A. Review Finds Mysterious "Havana Syndrome" Unlikely Caused by Enemies
A CIA assessment has found that most of the cases of the "Havana Syndrome" that has been affecting hundreds of diplomats around the world are not likely the result of actions of a foreign power. Read about the CIA's findings and what they believe the cause of Havana Syndrome is.
January 24, 2022
Van der Bellen: New Year's Address to the Diplomatic Corps in Vienna
President Van der Bellen delivered his New Year's address to the Diplomatic Corps in Vienna. He talked about the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more. Read what the president said and watch his speech.
January 24, 2022
Covid in Austria: Borders Are Open Again
Since January 24, guests from all countries with 2G+ or boosted can enter Austria - there are then no more virus variant areas. Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway are no longer considered virus variant areas. Tourist travel is possible for vaccinated and recovered persons. Here is an overview of the updated entry regulations.
January 23, 2022
Austria's Position on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, tensions between Russia and Ukraine remain high as Russia still has thousands of troops stationed on the Ukrainian border. Read Austria's position on the issue.
January 22, 2022
Schallenberg on Russia's Aggression Toward Ukraine: "Dialogue where possible. Clear lines where necessary."
Foreign Minister Schallenberg gave a speech in the Austrian National Council in which he addressed the current tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Read what the foreign minister warned about the situation.
January 21, 2022
Kazakh Foreign Minister in Vienna Promises Investigation into the Unrest
Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Muchtar Tileuberdi met with Foreign Minister Schallenberg in Vienna, and the pair discussed the recent protests and violence in Kazakhstan. Read more about their discussion, and watch their joint press conference.
January 20, 2022
Meet Dr. Michael R. Carpenter, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the OSCE
Ambassador Michael Carpenter, an American diplomat, was nominated by President Biden to serve as the Permanent Representative of the USA to the OSCE - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and was confirmed by the United States Senate in November, 2021. On November 29, 2021, he assumed office as ambassador after presenting his credentials at the OSCE in Vienna.
January 20, 2022
Austria's Initiatives to Strengthen EU External Border Management
Austria is co-organizing a conference in Lithuania to discuss EU external border protection. Interior Minister Karner, who will represent Austria at the meeting, first stopped in Hungary to talk about the issue with his Hungarian counterpart Sándor Pintér. Read more about Austria's efforts to strengthen EU external border management.
January 20, 2022
Meet the Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE, Mr. Alexander Lukashevich
The Head of Mission of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna is Mr. Alexander Lukashevich. Learn more about his extensive career in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and what he thinks of the status quo of the OSCE.
January 19, 2022
Meet Mordechai Rodgold, Israel's Ambassador to Vienna
H.E. Mr. Mordechai Rodgold is the current Ambassador of Israel to Austria. Learn more about Ambassador Rodgold and his impressive career.
January 19, 2022
Russian Arms Control Delegation in Vienna: Contradictions Related to U.S. Social Media Account Outages
According to reports by Russian news agencies TASS and RT, the Facebook account of the Russian Arms Control Delegation, a division of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the OSCE in Vienna, was blocked last Friday and unblocked on Monday, after intervention by Russia's telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor. A fact check of the relevant Russian media reports reveals a tangle of allegations and exaggerations.
January 19, 2022
Meet Andrei Plotnikov, Head of the Trade Representation of Russia in Austria
Dr. Andrei Plotnikov, who was born in 1959 in Donetsk in the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, currently the embattled eastern part of Ukraine, has been the Head of the Trade Representation of Russia in the Republic of Austria since 2021.
January 18, 2022
Meet the New Mongolian Ambassador to Austria, H.E. Mr. Tsengeg Mijiddorj
The new Ambassador of Mongolia to Austria, H.E. Mr. Tsengeg Mijiddorj, presented his credentials to President Van der Bellen. Learn more about Ambassador Mijiddorj.
January 18, 2022
Russia-Austria Relationship: "A Window of Opportunity"
Against the backdrop of a simmering military-technical conflict between Russia and the West in Ukraine, Russian bilateral ambassador to Austria Dmitry Lyubinsky says Russian-Austrian ties in the sphere of culture and science have traditionally been "the trump card in relations between the two states."
January 18, 2022
Israel and Austria Step Up Cooperation on Security Issues
Israeli Ambassador Mordechai Rodgold and Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner met for working talks to discuss further cooperation on security issues. Read more about their meeting and what they said about the fight against anti-Semitism.
January 18, 2022
Demand for Luxury Real Estate in Austria Increased by 12 Percent Due to the Corona Situation
Luxury real estate demand increased by 12 percent in Austria in 2021, according to the Engel & Völkers Group. Read more about the luxury real estate trends in Austria and around the world.
January 17, 2022
Meet the New Italian Ambassador to Austria, H.E. Mr. Stefano Beltrame
The new Ambassador of Italy to Austria, H.E. Mr. Stefano Beltrame, presented his credentials to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. Learn more about the new ambassador.
January 17, 2022
Schallenberg Cautions "Ukraine's Sovereignty Is Not Negotiable Under Any Circumstances"
Foreign Minister Schallenberg recently discussed the current tensions between Ukraine and Russia at a meeting with his counterparts from the EU in Brest, France. Read more about Schallenberg's stance on Ukraine and dealing with Russia in the context of Russia's troop buildup and a recent cyberattack on Ukraine.
January 17, 2022
U.S. and EU Establish "Transatlantic Coordination" Against Russia
Europe and the U.S. are closing ranks in the face of feared Russian aggression against Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU High Representative Josep Borrell are determined to "form a strong, clear and united transatlantic front," European Union External Action announced after a phone call between the two. According to the statement, they expressed their commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
January 16, 2022
Meet the Reappointed U.S. Ambassador to the U.S. Mission in Vienna, Laura S.H. Holgate
Laura Susan Hayes Holgate, an American diplomat who was already accredited as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations International Organizations in Vienna and to the IAEA for six months between 2016 and 2017, is back under President Joe Biden.
January 16, 2022
President of Switzerland on Official State Visit to Austria
On his first official visit to Austria as president, Swiss President Ignazio Cassis met with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. Read more about the meeting between the two presidents.
January 14, 2022
Meet the New Canadian Ambassador to Austria, H.E. Mr. Troy Barry Lulashnyk
The new Ambassador of Canada to Austria, H.E. Mr. Troy Barry Lulashnyk, presented his credentials to President Van der Bellen. Learn more about Mr. Lulashnyk.
January 14, 2022
FDI in Austria: German Chocolate Group a "Success Story" Just One Year After Mars Takeover
Foreign direct investment is on a downward trend in Austria relative to GDP. It is therefore all the more gratifying that the Baden-Württemberg family-owned company Alfred Ritter is ranked as one of the "success stories" in the ABA ranking barely one year after the Mars takeover and start of production in Breitenbrunn, Burgenland.
January 14, 2022
Russia: Authorities Liquidate Memorial, One of the Country's Most Respected Human Rights Groups
The Russian authorities' move to extinguish one of the oldest and most influential human rights groups in the country, demonstrates their relentless determination to end ongoing human rights work in Russia. Memorial's independent institutions outside Russia continue to exist.
January 14, 2022
Meet the New Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria, H.E. Mr. Vasyl Khymynets
The new Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria, H.E. Mr. Vasyl Khymynets, presented his credentials to President Van der Bellen. Learn more about him.
January 13, 2022
Iran Nuclear Talks: Israel Will Not Feel Bound by the Agreement
In his first appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made it clear that he will not consider himself bound by any outcome of the Vienna nuclear talks with Iran. As recently as late December, he still signaled interest in reaching an agreement and possibly changing Israel's position on the Iran negotiations.
January 13, 2022
What Is the OSCE Agenda for 2022?
After taking over the chairmanship of the OSCE in early January, Poland has now presented its priorities for 2022. Read the OSCE's goals according to the new OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Zbigniew Rau.
January 13, 2022
