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Austria - International Political News
Read the latest headlines about developments in Austrian foreign politics with reference to the international interest
Conference on Migration Partnerships in Vienna
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is hosting the sixth Vienna Migration Conference (VMC). The conference will allow various stakeholders and high-level officials to discuss partnerships and reassess their strategies for dealing with new migration challenges. Read more about the event.
October 19, 2021
Foreign Minister Linhart's Inaugural Visit to the EU Foreign Affairs Council
Foreign Minister Linhart recently traveled to Luxembourg for his first meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. In a meeting with the other foreign ministers from the EU, they discussed various issues, including the EU's Eastern Partnership and the war in Ethiopia. Linhart also met with Libyan Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush during his visit. Read about Linhart's trip and what was discussed in the meetings, and watch Linhart's interview outside the event.
October 19, 2021
Western Balkans: First Foreign Trip of the New Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Linhart
Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Linhart went on his first trip abroad since becoming the foreign minister. Linhart traveled to the Western Balkan state of Bosnia and Herzegovina to meet with members of the international presence, business leaders, and various politicians, including his Bosnian counterpart Bisera Turković. Read more about his trip.
October 15, 2021
Schallenberg's First Foreign Trip as Austrian Chancellor
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel recently met for talks in Brussels with Chancellor Schallenberg on his first foreign trip since being appointed chancellor. Read about the chancellor's trip, his talks with the two leaders, and a Twitter error involving former Chancellor Kurz.
October 15, 2021
President of Georgia, Salomé Zourabichvili, in Austria
The President of Georgia, Salomé Zourabichvili, recently visited Austria and was hosted by President Van der Bellen at the Vienna Hofburg. The two heads of state discussed various issues, including the current political crises in Georgia and Austria. Read about the visit and what the presidents said at their joint press conference.
October 13, 2021
EU Justice Commissioner Reynders and Justice Minister Zadić Share Concerns Over Rule of Law in Poland
The EU Justice Commissioner, Didier Reynders, was hosted by Austrian Minister of Justice Alma Zadić for a working meeting in Vienna. The two discussed various issues, including their shared concern regarding the rule of law following the Polish Constitutional Court's ruling on the primacy of national law over EU law. Read about their meeting and the increased tensions surrounding the Polish court's decision.
October 12, 2021
Antisemitic Vandalism at Auschwitz-Birkenau Highlights Alarming Trend
One day after an Austrian delegation, including President Van der Bellen, Foreign Minister Schallenberg, and EU Minister Edtstadler spoke at the opening of the new Austrian exhibition at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial, the museum reported antisemitic vandalism at the camp. The shocking incident underscores a larger trend of antisemitism in Europe and around the world. Read more about the incident, the trend of antisemitism, and what is being done to combat it.
October 7, 2021
Embassy Building “Palais Nassau” in Russian Possession for 130 Years
To mark the 130th anniversary of the Russian acquisition of the "Palais Nassau" in Vienna for embassy purposes, Russian Ambassador Dmitrij Ljubinskij presented a special postage stamp and stamp block and ceremoniously stamped them. The ambassador also gave a brief speech on the occasion. Read more about the event and the embassy.
October 7, 2021
Polish-Austrian Relations: Official Visit and Business Forum in Warsaw
Polish President Andrzej Duda hosted Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in Warsaw for the first official visit of an Austrian President in Poland since 2009. The two had a meeting and held a joint press conference in which they discussed various issues, including Poland's current issues with the EU. Van der Bellen also attended an economic forum and met with other Polish leaders. Read more about the details of the President's visit to Poland.
October 6, 2021
EU Support to Western Balkans as Repulsion against China and Turkey
European heads of state and government that make up the European Council, including Chancellor Kurz, met in Slovenia for informal talks and the Western Balkans Summit. In addition to other issues, the leaders discussed the accession of Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo to the EU. Read more about what Kurz and the EU said about the enlargement process.
October 6, 2021
Auschwitz-Birkenau: Austrian Delegation to Visit Largest Mass Murder Site in Human History
At the invitation of the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Piotr M.A. Cywiński and Austrian National Council President Sobotka, an Austrian delegation including President Van der Bellen and Foreign Minister Schallenberg will attend the opening of the new Austrian national exhibition "Distance - Austria and Auschwitz" in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum at the former Nazi concentration camp. Read more about the important new exhibition, who will be attending the opening, and the schedule for the rest of the president's trip to Poland.
October 4, 2021
Long Day of Escape: UNHCR Event in Austria on Refuge, Human Rights and Coexistence
Escape, human rights and peaceful coexistence are the focus of the UNHCR event series "Long Day of Escape", which took place for the 10th time this year.
October 1, 2021
Combating Anti-Semitism in Austria: Representatives of US Jewish Organizations Briefed on New Measures
While in New York for the 76th UNGA, Foreign Minister Schallenberg and Chancellor Kurz met with representatives of various Jewish organizations and briefed them on new measures being taken to combat anti-Semitism. Read about their meetings and some of the steps they are taking to address this issue.
September 29, 2021
76th UN General Assembly: Contribution and Results from an Austrian Perspective
Throughout the 76th United Nations General Assembly, some of the main issues that the Austrian delegation focused on were sustainable energy and climate change, COVID-19 and vaccinations, and the situation in Afghanistan. Read about some of the contributions and results of the event from Austria's point of view.
September 29, 2021
What Is the Legal Status Quo of the Afghan Embassy in Vienna?
The last de facto ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Austria, Ambassador Manizha Bakhtari, no longer represents an existing government, but wants to remain Afghanistan's ambassador in Vienna after the Taliban's violent takeover of Kabul. She justifies this by saying that the illegitimate Taliban government cannot recall her and that Austria must first recognize the Taliban in order to legitimize her recall. Some members of the Austrian Parliament have now submitted an inquiry to Alexander Schallenberg, through which the status quo is to be determined.
September 24, 2021
UN Vienna: Gulf Cooperation Council Appoints New Permanent Observer
The new Permanent Observer for the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf, the Saudi Arabian Ali Abdulla Ebrahim Ali Aljawder, presented his credentials to the UN in Vienna.
September 24, 2021
Iran Nuclear Talks to Continue in Vienna
Discussions regarding the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, are set to continue in Vienna. This has been confirmed by Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, also announced to the IAEA Board of Governors that Iran has agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to service the agency’s monitoring and surveillance equipment in Iran and replace their storage media. These developments come as US President Joe Biden has publicly expressed interest in returning to the agreement that his predecessor unilaterally withdrew from.
September 24, 2021
Paris and Vienna Share Focus on Climate Protection
Paris and Vienna, two of the largest cities in Europe, now share a focus on protecting the environment. To see how Paris is working to deal with climate change and how Vienna can learn from it, a Viennese delegation visited Paris to view some projects aimed at countering climate change. Read more about the projects that Paris and Vienna are implementing to protect the cities from the harmful effects of the changing climate.
September 23, 2021
Van der Bellen at 76th UN General Assembly: "World Stage of Foreign Policy"
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen is in New York attending the 76th UN General Assembly along with Chancellor Kurz and Foreign Minister Schallenberg. On Tuesday, President Van der Bellen attended the "Welcome Reception" with UN-Secretary General António Guterres and the opening of the General Assembly. The President also held talks with the presidents of Costa Rica, Ghana, Guyana, Senegal, and Zambia. Van der Bellen is still scheduled to meet with Secretary-General Guterres, various world leaders, and scientists to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and more. Read about the President's trip so far and what is next on his agenda.
September 21, 2021
Multilateralism at the UN General Assembly: Kurz and Schallenberg in NYC
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Schallenberg are in New York for the 76th United Nations General Assembly. Their trip includes meetings with various delegations, with an emphasis on the situation in Afghanistan and the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the pair, along with President Van der Bellen, will meet for talks with UN Secretary-General Antońio Guterres. Chancellor Kurz will also address the Council on Foreign Relations and Schallenberg will deliver a speech to the General Assembly. Read more about the details of their trip.
September 21, 2021
New Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan Presents Credentials
The new Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Austria, H.E. Mr. Rovshan Sadigbayli, presented his credentials to the President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen. He is also the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the International Organizations in Vienna. Learn more about the new ambassador.
September 17, 2021
Opening of the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting 2021 in Vienna
The IAEA Board of Governors met physically this week under the chairmanship of Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in the Plenary Hall of the M-Building at the Vienna International Centre (VIC), and discussed the topics listed below.
September 17, 2021
Austrian Development Agency: An Additional 2 Million Euros for Afghanistan
At the United Nations donor conference for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the Austrian Minister for Integration and Women's Affairs Susanne Raab announced that Austria will provide an additional 2 million euros in aid to Afghanistan. The aid is being made available through funds from the Austrian Development Aid Cooperation of the Austrian Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Austrian Foreign Ministry. The conference resulted in pledges of nearly double the amount of money that the UN had set as its goal.
September 16, 2021
Western Balkans Conference in Wachau: Strengthened Cooperation Agreed
The defense ministers of the Western Balkan states–Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia–were invited to a conference in the Wachau Valley by Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. At the conference, they discussed increasing security cooperation between the Western Balkans, the EU, and Austria, as well as EU accession for the Western Balkans.
September 15, 2021
Minister for European Affairs: The Fight against Migration as a Means of Pressure on the EU
Austrian Minister for European Affairs Karoline Edtstadler embarked on a multi-country trip to Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, and Romania. The central topic of discussion is the increasing migratory pressure on the EU’s external borders, especially from Afghanistan and Belarus. Minister Edtstadler emphasized the need for border security at the EU's external borders and for targeted sanctions on Alexander Lukashenko's regime.
September 15, 2021
Security and Stability: Austria Deepens Cooperation with UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman
Foreign Minister Schallenberg visited the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman on a four-day trip to the Gulf region. While there, he spoke with various officials, including his counterparts: UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi. The main topics of discussion were security, especially regarding extremism, and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 15, 2021
OSCE: Chairpersonship of the Forum for Security Co-operation Passes to Austria
The OSCE's 57 participating states now routinely delegate the Chairpersonship of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) to Austria.
September 10, 2021
100 Speakers of Parliament Meet in Vienna
Over 100 speakers of parliament met at the Austria Center Vienna for the Fifth World Conference of the Speakers of Parliament. President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka spoke about the international community finding internal solutions to global problems. Duarte Pacheco and Martin Chungong, the President and Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), defended democracy and human rights and spoke about the robustness of parliaments during the COVID-19 crisis.
September 10, 2021
Aid Package for Afghanistan Approved by Austrian Federal Government
The Austrian Federal Government has officially approved 18 million euros in emergency aid for Afghanistan that it had previously promised. The aid will go from the Austrian Foreign Ministry's Foreign Disaster Fund (AKF) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Women, and the UN World Food Program.
September 9, 2021
One Million Corona Vaccine Doses for Tehran
Due to the spread of the delta variant, Iran is currently suffering from the fifth and most severe wave of the coronavirus pandemic. To help assist Iran in the fight against the pandemic, Austria is providing the country with one million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Austrian Ministers Schallenberg, Nehammer, and Mückstein all expressed their support for the aid package.
September 8, 2021
Forum Alpbach: Reaffirming the Importance of the Conference on the Future of Europe
The EU ministers from five member states signed the "Alpbach Declaration on the Future of Europe" at the European Forum Alpbach. The five ministers were Judit Varga from Hungary, Thomas Byrne from Ireland, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis from Greece, Juan González-Barba from Spain, and Karoline Edtstadler from Austria. The declaration highlights the necessity for cooperation and dialogue to ensure that the EU has a successful future.
September 7, 2021
Vučić Hosted Kurz: The "Fight Against Illegal Migration"
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić recently received Chancellor Kurz in Belgrade. The two of them spoke about illegal migration, especially regarding the refugees fleeing from Afghanistan. Other topics of discussion included bilateral relations and the EU rapprochement process. Kurz also spoke with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić about EU accession for the Western Balkans.
September 7, 2021
Schallenberg on Afghanistan: "Clear advance of mistrust toward the Taliban"
The Gymnich Meeting of EU foreign ministers recently took place in Slovenia. One of the main issues discussed during the two days of meetings was the situation in Afghanistan and how to deal with the Taliban going forward. Alexander Schallenberg expressed that there is a deep mistrust of the Taliban, but technical cooperation with them is currently necessary. Read more about what Schallenberg said and watch the video of him taking questions from the press.
September 7, 2021
UNHCR Vienna Office: "Everyone has the right to citizenship"
The international community celebrated the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. On the anniversary, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that "everyone has the right to citizenship." UNHCR also warned about the many dangers stateless people face, including lack of access to COVID-19 vaccines, lack of economic relief from a government, and much more.
September 2, 2021
Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein Calls on Austria to Reopen Embassy in Baghdad
The Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein visited Vienna and the European Forum Alpbach at the invitation of Alexander Schallenberg. The topics of the conversation between the two foreign ministers according to the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Vienna.
September 2, 2021
Merkel Receives Kurz: Connected Through a Multitude of Relationships
German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at the German Federal Chancellery in Berlin. In addition to a discussion of the issues Germany and Austria are currently dealing with, such as Afghanistan and the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting also served as Kurz’s farewell to the German Chancellor, who is leaving office after 16 years.
September 1, 2021
Kazakhstan Commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the Closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Weapons Test Site
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Vienna is calling for the promotion of its anti-nuclear initiatives and to commemorate the long-term consequences of the legacy of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Weapons Test Site in eastern Ksakhstan.
September 1, 2021
Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein in Vienna
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna for bilateral discussions. Some specific issues the pair discussed include Afghanistan, the security situation in Iraq and the Middle East, terrorism, and migration. Read about their meeting and watch their joint press conference.
September 1, 2021
Afghanistan: Austria Discusses Aid with Neighboring States Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan
To discuss cooperation and support on the situation in Afghanistan, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Interior Minister Karl Nehammer initiated a joint video conference with Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbors, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as three European countries, Germany, Denmark, and Greece. The focus of the conversation with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries was on security, migration, and humanitarian aid.
August 31, 2021
17,000 Descendants of Nazi Victims Demand Austrian Citizenship
In the one year since the change in the Citizenship Act allowed the descendants of victims of Nazi persecution the right to Austrian citizenship, the Vienna Municipal Department 35 (MA 35) has received nearly 17,000 applications. Around 10,000 of these applications still need to be processed. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and the President of the Jewish Community Oskar Deutsch reflected on the program on its one-year anniversary.
August 31, 2021
Western Balkans: Further Austrian Corona Solidarity Campaign for all Six States
The final share of promised COVID-19 vaccines was delivered to Bosnia and Herzegovina, ending an EU solidarity campaign led by Austria. A total of 651,000 COVID-19 vaccines from the manufacturer BioNTech/Pfizer were provided to the six Western Balkan states: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
August 30, 2021
Lithuania and Austria Support New Sanctions against Belarus
Lithuania and Austria have indicated that they are in favor of putting new sanctions on Belarus in response to the significant increase in illegal border crossings on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė hosted their Austrian counterparts Alexander Schallenberg and Karl Nehammer at the border to discuss the ongoing situation.
August 26, 2021
Austrian Emergency Aid Package of 18 Million Euros for Afghan Women
Austria has announced that it will provide 15 million euros in emergency aid to help the people of Afghanistan. This is in addition to the 3 million euros that Austria already promised to donate to the UNHCR. The total of 18 million euros is intended to benefit, above all, organizations that campaign for the empowerment of women in the region, such as UN Women.
August 26, 2021
Violence Based on Religion or Belief: Vienna Human Rights Envoy Calls for Release of Detainees
On the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief Vienna’s Human Rights Commissioner called for the release of Iranian Sotoudeh and Egyptian Santawy while reaffirming the need for freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
August 26, 2021
Lavrov in Vienna: Tensions Following the Establishment of the Crimea Platform
In the first official bilateral visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to Vienna since 2009, Sergey Lavrov met with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The working talks included tense issues like the annexation of Crimea, human rights in Russia, Afghanistan, and the refugees on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border. However, they all expressed interest in continued dialogue and finding areas for cooperation between Austria, the EU, and Russia.
August 26, 2021
Van der Bellen Appeals for the Acceptance of Afghans
In his speech at the opening of the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen appealed for the acceptance of refugees from Afghanistan. Despite Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's concerns about accepting refugees, the president argued that there is a legal, moral and political obligation for the EU to offer protection to those forced to leave their country.
August 25, 2021
Founding Event of the Crimea Platform: "Destabilization of Ukraine weakens the security of us all"
Amid talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shymal on the eve of Ukrainian Independence Day, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said International law is and remains a red line that must not be crossed.
August 24, 2021
Nuclear Concerns: Austria Expresses Reservations About Slovenian Nuclear Plant
Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar and the Slovenian State Secretary for Infrastructure Blaž Košorok met with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Styrian Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer in Ljubljana. Among other issues, the group discussed Austria's concerns with the nuclear energy industry and, more specifically, Austria's concerns with Slovenia's nuclear power plant in Krško.
August 24, 2021 · Updated: August 24, 2021; 12:22
Ukrainian-Austrian Solidarity: Schallenberg Attends Inaugural Summit of Crimea Platform and Delivers Vaccines
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal hosted Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg in Kiev for working talks. Schallenberg also attended the founding event of the Crimea Platform, which aims to reverse the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, and he delivered a shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines to aid Ukraine in the COVID-19 pandemic fight.
August 23, 2021 · Updated: August 23, 2021; 16:48
Switzerland and Austria Step Up Fight Against Illegal Migration
Swiss Justice and Police Minister Karin Maria Keller-Sutter met Interior Minister Karl Nehammer to discuss the current developments in Afghanistan as well as Switzerland's accession to the migration platform.
August 23, 2021
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