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

German Chamber of Commerce in Austria Organized New Year's Reception 2023 in Graz

After two years of interruption, the traditional joint New Year's reception of the German Chamber of Commerce in Austria (DHK) could finally be held again. The cultivated atmosphere of the auditorium of the Old University of Graz provided the setting for the event, which was attended by around 200 representatives of the Styrian business community.

January 18, 2023

Ukraine Criticises Schallenbergs Statement

Ukraine has criticized Austrian Foreign Ministers’ statement of “overshooting the mark” regarding the visa ban on Russian citizens. Ukrainian officials are not pleased with this statement and Invited Alexander Schallenberg to Dnipro.

January 17, 2023

Armenian Foreign Minister Visits Vienna Because of Nagorno-Karabakh's Worsening Humanitarian Situation

Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan is currently on a working visit to Vienna to participate in the Special Meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council initiated by Armenia, due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition, Mirzoyan met with Ghada Fathi Waly, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

January 17, 2023

First Meeting Between Austrian and French Foreign Ministers in Paris

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg traveled to Paris for various working talks and meeting to strengthen Franco-Austrian relations. There was also the first bilateral meeting between Austria's Schallenberg and France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

January 17, 2023

Swiss President Alain Berset Visited Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen welcomed the newly inaugurated Swiss President Alain Berset. It is a tradition that newly inaugurated Swiss Presidents make their first state visits abroad in Austria. Berset also met with Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, and many more Austrian politicians.

January 16, 2023

Large Natural Gas Field Found in Austria

The small town of Molln in Upper Austria could make an important contribution to the gas supply of the entire country in the next few years if the conjectures prove true. Test drilling is said to have already taken place, therefore it is known that the gas is of the best quality. The Australian company ADX Energy wants to start drilling for it this spring.

January 16, 2023

Foreign Minister Schallenberg Calls for Non-Exaggeration Regarding Russia

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has said that we should not punish 144 million Russians regarding their visas for entering the EU. He said that we should unequivocally support Ukraine, but also keep the diplomatic path open with Russia.

January 16, 2023

Austria Helps Secure Airspace for World Economic Forum in Davos

Davos, Switzerland, which is located close to the Austrian border, will once again host the World Economic Forum. The Austrian Armed Forces are helping Switzerland with air surveillance on Austrian territory.

January 16, 2023

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti Visited Vienna

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited Vienna, where he met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and then held a speech at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna in the evening.

January 16, 2023

Two Young Ukrainians Were Taken to Moskau

Two young Ukrainians have been brought from Tyrol to Moscow without noticing the responsible Ukrainian authorities. An employee from the state of Tyrol and the European Ombudsman office is said to have been involved in bringing young people to Moscow as part of family reunification that was not coordinated with the Ukrainian authorities.

January 15, 2023

Austria Wants to Drop all Covid-19 Mitigations

Austrian Minister of Health Johannes Rauch has said that he wants to end all Covid-19 regulations in Austria until springtime this year. This would mean the legitimate end of the Coronavirus-pandemic in the country.

January 15, 2023

Confucius Institute at the University of Vienna Organized Spring Reception

The Confucius Institute of the University of Vienna organized a reception for the Chinese Spring Festival. The Chinese New Year "The Year of the Rabbit" is dedicated to the Water Rabbit. At the reception, the Chinese Embassy Counselor in Vienna also gave a speech.

January 15, 2023

Oskar Deutsch Reelected as President of Vienna Israelite Community

At the constituent meeting of the Board of the Vienna Israelite Community, Oskar Deutsch was re-elected as President and confirmed Michael Galibov and Claudia Prutscher as Vice Presidents.

January 11, 2023

Key Witness in Wirecard Trial Said that Books Were “Specifically” Adjusted

The Wirecard trial goes to the next round. The key witness in the trial confessed that the company books were hectically and specifically adjusted to fit the fraud. Those fake books were then shown to the auditor.

January 11, 2023

Austria's Karl von Habsburg Calls for an End to Vladimir Putin's Regime

The last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, Karl von Habsburg, has strongly condemned the Russian regime and its President Vladimir Putin since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In his "Speech on the Future of Europe," the president of the Pan-European Movement Austria advocates greater military support for Ukraine.

January 11, 2023

Vienna Albertina Celebrates its 20th Anniversary

In 2023, the Albertina museum celebrates its reopening 20 years ago, the renovation of the state rooms and the expansion of the museum from 2,000 to over 28,000 square meters today. With between 700,000 and one million tickets sold a year, the Albertina has been repositioned into a new museum rich in tradition.

January 10, 2023

Vienna Establishes "External Reporting Office for EU Infringements"

An External Reporting Office for EU Legal Violations, which was set up in Vienna at the beginning of 2023 following the requirements of the EU Whistleblowing Directive, is to make it possible to report violations of EU law. Marion Winkler took over the management of the External Reporting Office with an appointment decree.

January 10, 2023

Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International Gets Under Pressure Due to Russo-Ukrainian War

Its involvement in Russia keeps Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and its managers, led by Johann Strobl, very busy. The subsidiary institution in Moscow is RBI's biggest profit earner and almost the entire RBI board is on the Ukrainians' "awaiting sanctions" list. Whether RBI will stay in Russia and how to proceed is still unclear, as the banking group is in a tricky situation.

January 9, 2023

First International Cross-Over Transplantation for Kidney Disease at Vienna University Hospital AKH

In the University Hospital Vienna AKH, for the first time made possible by diplomacy, a kidney was implanted in a 31-year-old Viennese, which was flown in from Israel by a living donor. A few hours earlier, a kidney was removed from his brother at Vienna General Hospital and transferred to Israel on the same plane.

January 9, 2023

Ukrainians Want Raiffeisen Bankers Sanctioned

Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International is coming under pressure in Ukraine. RBI CEO Johann Strobl and another manager are on a list drawn up by Ukrainian authorities, according to which sanctions are recommended.

January 8, 2023

Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas in Austria

Every year on January 6 and 7, millions of Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate Christmas. In the capital, Vienna and many other cities, especially Serbian and Russian Orthodox Christians, as well as Oriental Orthodox Christians, are currently celebrating Christmas.

January 7, 2023

Renowned MIT Europe Conference in Austria in March 2023

The Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce is bringing top researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to Austria. Innovative technologies and solutions around sustainability, energy, climate and nutrition will be presented on March 29/30, 2023 in Vienna and for the first time in Graz and Salzburg.

January 4, 2023

Czech Foreign Minister States That Austria's Schengen-No Was Unexpected

Czech Presidency Europe was briefly troubled by Austria's No to Schengen enlargement regarding Bulgaria and Romania. For Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, Austria's "no" vote regarding Romania's and Bulgaria's Schengen accession came "suddenly".

January 4, 2023

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Visits Vienna

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg welcomed his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Vienna. It was the first visit of an Indian Foreign Minister to Austria in 27 years and the fifth meeting with Foreign Minister Schallenberg in the past twelve months.

January 3, 2023

Exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Albertina

ALBERTINA presents "Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Retrospective" the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat for the first time in Austria. An exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Albertina lasts only until 08.01. 2023.

January 3, 2023

OSCE Opens a Women’s Education and Support Center in Uzbekistan

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) project coordinator in Uzbekistan opens a women’s education center in the Tashkent region. This center will be responsible for promoting gender equality throughout the region.

December 30, 2022

Mask Obligation in Vienna's Public Transport Remains

While the Corona measures have been softened further at the Austrian federal level, Vienna is sticking to its stricter rules. The mask requirement on public transport in Vienna will be maintained into the year to come.

December 29, 2022

French Ambassador Gilles Pécout in Austria Visits Linz

As part of the initiative "Das Land tagt mit der Welt" ("The country meets with the world") by the President of the Provincial Parliament, Peter Binder, an event was held to "promote more internationality and cosmopolitanism in Upper Austria. The French ambassador to Austria, H.E. Gilles Pécout, arrived from Vienna as a guest of honor.

December 28, 2022

Space Diplomacy: UNOOSA and United Kingdom Strengthen Cooperation on Space Sustainability

As part of a new project to strengthen space sustainability, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Government of the United Kingdom are strengthening their partnership. A broad range of activities will be undertaken to raise awareness and build capacity related to the implementation of the Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities.

December 28, 2022

Austrian Integration Fund Upgrades its Supply for German Courses

The Austrian Integration Fund will extend the supply for courses of German courses from A1 to C1 level for immigrants and refugees. The courses are intended to assist immigrants in their Job seeking opportunities since learning German is a cornerstone for getting into the Austrian Job Market.

December 28, 2022

Abu Dhabi-based ADNOC Acquires OMV Shares from Sovereign Wealth Fund Mubadala

There is a change in the ownership structure of the Austrian oil and gas group OMV. Long-time core shareholder Mubadala, Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, sells its 24.9 percent stake in OMV to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), also a state-owned company. The state holding company ÖBAG announced that it had been informed of the change in ownership.

December 23, 2022

Meet the New Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations in Vienna

Vilawan Mangklatanakul, Thailand's new permanent representative, presented her credentials to the Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, Dennis Thatchaichawalit. Meet Ambassador, Vilawan Mangklatanakul, the new permanent representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to the International Organizations in Vienna.

December 23, 2022

Austria Increases Fund for International Food Aid

The Austrian Ministry of Agriculture will increase funding for international food aid significantly. The Austrian Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig traveled to Libanon to observe the situation.

December 23, 2022

Russian Permanent Representative to UN in Vienna Says Soon Agreement with IAEA on Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant

At Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control, there have again been several powerful explosions, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. An agreement on a protection zone is being fiercely discussed but has yet to be reached. The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation and Moscow expect significant progress in this direction.

December 22, 2022

Foreign Minister Schallenberg and his Slovenian Counterpart Travel to Montenegro on Behalf of the EU

On behalf of the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Foreign Minister Schallenberg and his Slovenian colleague Tanja Fajon traveled to the previous model country among the accession candidates. It is currently going through a constitutional crisis.

December 21, 2022

Austria's Nobel Anton Zeilinger Laureate Receives Honor from President

Austrian quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger was awarded the "Grand Decoration of Honor in Silver with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria" by Austria's Federal President Van der Bellen.

December 21, 2022

First Austrian State Prize for Women Awarded

Austria's Minister for Women Susanne Raab ceremoniously presented the first Austrian State Award for Women in Vienna. Among others, the Austrian women's soccer team received the Austrian State Prize for Women, which is endowed by the Ministry of Women's Affairs.

December 20, 2022

Gas Pipeline Explodes in Russia

A Russian gas pipeline, which also exports gas to Austria, exploded while repair work was being done there. The explosion occurred in the Chuvashia region and killed three people.

December 20, 2022

New International Institute for Media in Vienna Holds First Event on Fake News at Hofburg Palace

The newly founded "International Institute for Media (IIM-Vienna)" has set itself the task of counteracting state-controlled disinformation and making known the information wars that are going on in secret. The new think tank invites to the event "The armies of trolls and astroturfers" at the Hofburg.

December 20, 2022

Minister Edtstadler Pushes for Registration of Migrants in Hungary

Austrian Minister of Europe Karoline Edtstadler pushes for the initial registration of migrants in Hungary before they enter Austria. This is seen as a preemptive measure against the rising numbers of illegal migrants in Austria.

December 20, 2022

On Saint Nicholas Day, Ukranian Music Band Kalush Orchestra Visited the Largest Ukrainian School in Austria

Ukranian music band Kalush Orchestra, whom also won the Eurovision Song Contest this year, performed on a Ukranian saturday school in Vienna on a beneficiary basis to congratulate the kids in school for the St.Nicholas Day.

December 19, 2022

Espionage in Vienna: Russian Spy Exposed

A Greek citizen of Russian descent allegedly spied on state secrets for Russia in Vienna. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution unmasked the 39-year-old son of a former diplomat as a Russian spy. During the house search, the police also found listening devices, as well as other compromising materials.

December 19, 2022

IAEA Arrives in Iran Capital for New Nuclear Negotiations

A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived in Tehran. On the agenda of the IAEA team are new negotiations with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) as well as representatives of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Diplomatic efforts over Iran's nuclear program appear to be dragging on and on.

December 18, 2022

EU Delegation in Vienna Organized Charity Gala "#EU4UKRAINE

The EU Delegation to the International Organizations in Vienna organized for the third time the EU Multilateral Christmas Charity Gala. The Kalush Orchestra, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) winner from Ukraine, also came to MuTh for the EU Multilateral Christmas Charity Gala in favor of Ukraine and performed together with the Janoska Ensemble, the Chorus Juventus of the Vienna Boys Choir.

December 18, 2022

Qatar Celebrates National Day Same Day as World Cup Final

Qatar celebrates its most important holiday of the year through a bunch of events annually. This time, it is more of a special occasion, since on the same day as the national day the Fifa World Cup Final is also held in Qatar, which boosts the celebratory atmosphere in the country.

December 18, 2022

Austrian Parliament Passes Resolutions Regarding Iran and Ukraine

The Austrian Parliament has passed several resolutions concerning worldwide human rights issues such as hunger in Ukraine and women’s rights in Iran.

December 15, 2022

Project "Christmas together with Ukraine" in Vienna

Children from different regions of Ukraine visited Vienna for a Christmas concert. The project "Christmas with Ukraine" is held on the route Uzhhorod-Budapest-Vienna-Bratislava-Prague-Warsaw-Uzhhorod. Despite air raids and the bombing of cities, the children prepared and currently present a bright Christmas performance.

December 15, 2022

OPEC Plus Marks Sixth Anniversary

The Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) between OPEC member countries and 10 non-OPEC oil-producing countries turned six years old. As the oil cartel engaged in diplomatic celebrations, OPEC reaffirmed its expectations for global oil demand in 2023.

December 14, 2022

Minister Schallenberg at the European Foreign Affairs Council

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg traveled to Brussels for the European Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) to meet with his counterparts from the other EU-member states. The main focus of the agenda was Iran.

December 14, 2022

Austrian President Van der Bellen Visited Slovenia

Re-elected Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen traveled to Slovenia for an official visit with his counterpart Borut Pahor. Besides discussions around the common issues in Slovenian, Austrian and European politics, this visit was also a farewell meeting between "personal friends", as Pahor is leaving office.

December 14, 2022