Slovenia in Austria | Slovenes in Vienna | Bilateral Relations

Austria and Slovenia - Read the latest headlines about bilateral relations in the areas of economy, business, investment, diplomacy, culture and tourism

Slovenia's Foreign Minister and State Secretary Met Edtstadler

Slovenia's Foreign Minister Anže Logar and State Secretary Gasper Dovžan met with Austria's Minister for European Affairs Karoline Edtstadler in Ljubljana to discuss about a possible European vaccination certificate, EU enlargement and about the future of the European Union.

February 8, 2021

Pahor and Van der Bellen Demand European Cooperation

The Slovenian President Borut Pahor and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen met virtually to discuss current issues, especially the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the fight against the climate crisis. Both heads of state stressed the importance of European and, in fact, global cooperation in both matters.

February 2, 2021

New Year's Reception for Vienna's Diplomatic Corps

Alexander Van Der Bellen and Pedro Lopez Quintana, the doyen of the diplomatic corps, delivered a video address on the occasion of the New Year 2021 to all diplomats accredited in Austria and to the international community in general. Read the most important excerpts from the Austrian President's speech below.

January 29, 2021

EU Multilateral Christmas Gala in Vienna

Vienna will be the host city of the EU Multilateral Christmas Gala taking place on December 19. The follow-up concert of the "TOGETHER as ONE" event in May will include a special and unique arrangement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony recorded live from the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn.

December 2, 2020

Central Five Held Virtual Conference

The Foreign Ministers of Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria (Central Five) held a virtual working meeting. On the agenda of the meeting were current foreign relation issues, but especially the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent terror attack in Vienna.

November 12, 2020

European Commission Launches Initiatives Against Gender Pay Gap

With regards to the European Day of Equal pay, the day from which women will symbolically no longer be paid for the same work compared to their male colleagues until the end of the year, the European Commission has launched initiatives to tackle the persistent gender pay gap.

November 12, 2020

European Vocational Skills Week: Focus on Green and Digital Transition

The European Vocational Skills Week focuses on vocational education and training for environmental and digital change. Numerous online events from 38 countries can be attended to further knowledge and careers. Especially in times of economic and social hardship, obtaining new skills might provide decent recovery.

November 10, 2020

EU Budget: Austrian Commissioner Hahn Welcomes New Agreement

For the first time ever, the disbursement of funds from the next EU budget will be directly connected to the rule of law of each member state. This was negotiated by representatives of the European Parliament and the Council; among them is Austria's EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

November 5, 2020

Kurz: All of Europe in Middle of the Second Wave

At a video conference with all of the heads of state and government of the European Union, Chancellor Kurz and the other country heads discussed Covid-19 measures and a common approach of the EU. Since the second wave has already hit many of the member countries, better coordination than in the spring of this year is demanded by almost every country.

October 30, 2020

Hahn: European Commission Is Entering Top League of Global Financial Markets

With the issuing of social bonds worth EUR 17 billion, the European Commission tries to safeguard jobs and prevent the economy from collapsing in its member countries. Commission President von der Leyen as well as Austrian EU Budget Commissioner Hahn are pleased by this important step.

October 22, 2020

EU Council: Kurz Demands Better Coordination of Restrictions

At the EU Council of the heads of state and government, Chancellor Kurz demands better coordination of travel restrictions, quarantine periods and testing with regard to Covid-19. Other topics on the agenda were the Brexit negotiations, foreign relations, and climate protection.

October 16, 2020

European Ministers Sign EU Cloud Declaration

At the Informal Council of EU Minister for Telecommunication and Digitalization the future of the EU with regard to security, exchange and use of data was discussed. Austrian Minister Schramböck is delighted about the progress made and the signing of the EU Cloud Declaration that should enable an even better exchange of data among member states.

October 15, 2020

Border Controls with Slovenia and Hungary Will be Extended

The border controls between the Slovenian-Austrian and Hungarian-Austrian border will be extended once again. Austria's Interior Minister Nehammer cited as reasons the "continuing migration pressure, maintenance of internal security and the tense situation surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic".

October 14, 2020

EU Introduces Covid-19 Traffic Light System to Clarify Travel Situation

The EU member states have agreed on a common system to coordinate travel restrictions with regard to Covid-19. Similar to the current Austrian system, the colors of a traffic light will indicate the risk of the particular areas within the EU borders.

October 13, 2020

100 Years Carinthian Referendum: Van der Bellen Apologizes to Carinthian Slovenes

During the 100 years anniversary of the Carinthian Referendum, Federal President Van der Bellen apologized to the Slovene minority in Carinthia for the bad treatment they had received in the past. He emphasized the importance of ethnic groups in Austria and hopes that these minorities will continue to exist.

October 12, 2020

Slovenian President will join Van der Bellen for "100 Years Carinthian Referendum"

For the first time ever, a Slovenian President will take part in the ceremony for "100 Years Carinthian Referendum". Slovenian Head of State Pahor will be joining his Austrian counterpart Van der Bellen for the celebrations.

October 7, 2020

European Council Decides on Sanctions Against Belarus

The European Council which was attended by the heads of the 27 member countries decided on sanctions against Belarus as well as a threat of sanctions against Turkey. Chancellor Kurz, Autria's representative at the Council, is satisfied with the two-day long discussions.

October 5, 2020

EU Special Summit Deals with Foreign Policy Issues

The EU government heads have come together to discuss foreign policy issues in Brussels. Chancellor Kurz is representing Austria at the meeting and has already met with Council President Michel, EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Borrell and Commission President von der Leyen.

October 1, 2020

European Commission Publishes First Report on Rule of Law

The European Commission has published its first report on the rule of law among member countries. Although the European Union requires high standards, there are still some procedures that need revision in order to assure independency and proper democratic systems. Even Austria has some catching up to do.

October 1, 2020

EU eGovernment Benchmark 2020: Austria in Top 3

New services on oesterreich.gv.at and the "Digitales Amt" app are having an effect - Austria is one of the top nations in the Europe-wide comparison. Only Malta and Estonia received better results in this year's EU eGovernment Benchmark.

September 24, 2020

Schallenberg at Council of EU Foreign Ministers

The EU Foreign Ministers met in Brussels to discuss current issues such as developments in Belarus and Libya. Austria's Foreign Minister Schallenberg demands a "strong signal" from the EU towards the Belarusian government.

September 22, 2020

European Capital of Democracy Coming Soon

The newly formed initiative "European Capital of Democracy" will try to give civilization more access to democracy by supporting activities and events that aim to improve and strengthen democracy. The first capital will be selected next year.

September 21, 2020

Foreign Ministers of Central Five Meet in Slovenia

The heads of diplomacy of Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria conducted a working meeting with the topics being the fight against a possible second wave of rising Covid-19 cases and other foreign affairs issues.

September 16, 2020

Meeting Between Janša and Kurz

Slovenia's Prime Minister Janša and President Pahor welcomed Chancellor Kurz for a working visit. All three politicians highlighted the important bilateral economic and political relations.

September 8, 2020

EU Supports Young Researchers with EUR 677 Million

The European Commission is providing a total of EUR 677 million to over 400 recipients of a "Starting Grant" from the European Research Council. Eleven of the selected junior researchers are conducting research at Austrian institutions.

September 4, 2020

Climate and Energy Goals: Additional Measures Will Be Needed for Austria

Austria's Ministry for Climate Protection recognizes the need for additional protective measures in order to meet the climate targets established by the European Union. An increases of investments in sustainable ideas is demanded.

September 3, 2020

Dombrovskis in Alpbach: Economy Must Serve All People

Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Dombrovskis highlights the importance of the young generation in rebuilding the economy after Covid-19. Unemployment needs to be tackled and sustainability and digital innovation will be supported.

September 2, 2020

Higher Unemployment Rate in Euro Zone, Decreasing Numbers in Austria

Even though many EU Member States have loosened Covid-19 containment measures, unemployment increased once again in the euro zone. Austria's rate decreased slightly from June to July 2020.

September 2, 2020

Economic Sentiment in Austria and the EU Brightened Further in August

Businesses and the population of the EU still have below-average economic sentiment although the expectations improved over the last month. The sharp decline due to Covid-19 is made up by about 60 % already.

August 31, 2020

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg at the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Berlin

Austria's Foreign Minister Schallenberg has come together with the other EU Foreign Minister to discuss current foreign affairs. The main topics were the conflict between Greece and Turkey, the current situation in Belarus, relations between the EU and Russia, and the peace process in the Middle East.

August 28, 2020

Financial Assets of Austrians Back at Record Level After Slump

Austrians have never been richer than today. Private financial assets have recovered and improved after a significant decline in the first quarter of 2020 due to Covid-19.

August 25, 2020

Kaiser Apologizes for the Chaos at the Border

Governor Peter Kaiser apologized today to all people who got stuck at the borders to Austria on Saturday evening. He says that this situation should never happen again and claims that communication problems between the federal and the state government led to the chaos.

August 24, 2020

IPU World Conference: National Council President Sobotka Highlights Importance of International Cooperation

The 5th IPU World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, originally planned on being conducted in Vienna, was held virtually from August 19 to August 20. Austrian National Council President Sobotka as well as the majority of the representatives underlined the importance of international cooperation.

August 21, 2020

Austrian Officials Open 13th IPU Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament

The 13th IPU Summit is held virtually and will cover important topics dealing with countless inequalities women face today. The organization of the event is a common effort between the Austrian Parliament and the United Nations.

August 18, 2020

Austria Lifts Landing Bans for Airplanes from All 18 Countries that were Previously Banned

The previous landing bans for aircraft from 18 countries expired on 1 August 2020. From now on, new entry regulations will apply, requiring a mandatory Covid 19 test. There are exceptions for diplomats and some other groups.

August 1, 2020

The 2020 Vienna Election: 230,000 Non-Austrian EU Citizens Are Eligible to Vote

A total of 1,362,795 persons are entitled to vote in the Vienna municipal and district elections on October 11, 2020. This figure includes 229,784 non-Austrian EU citizens who are eligible to vote and may participate in the district representative elections.

July 27, 2020

Illegal Migration: Austria Calls for More Coordination and Cooperation on Eastern Mediterranean Routes

Agreement reached at the Ministerial Conference to Combat Illegal Migration on the Eastern Mediterranean Routes in Vienna. It was decided to establish a platform for the fight against illegal migration.

July 24, 2020

New IOM Regional Director Renate Held Presents Credentials at UN Vienna

The new Permanent Representative of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to the United Nations, Renate Held, presented her credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna. The IOM has offices in 19 countries and territories in the "South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region" (SEEECA) including sub-regional offices in Central Asia and the Western Balkans.

July 22, 2020

Coronavirus Worldwide Update

Worldwide deaths has exceed 610,000, according to data collected by the ECDC Centre in Sweden. More than 14.7 million people have been infected, while some 8.6 million have recovered. According to the WHO World Health Organisation, the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is still the USA, where there are already more than 140,000 deaths. The number of infected and dead continues to rise sharply in most countries. Following is the situation update as of July 22, 2020.

July 20, 2020

Stricter Border Controls and Travel Warning for Western Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova

Due to the high infection rates in these countries, Austria declares the highest security level. Anyone who travels to Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova or, for example, to the countries of the Western Balkans, despite an upright travel warning, must undergo a 14-day home quarantine or a negative covid test upon returning to Austria. This is not a recommendation, but a legal regulation. Fines of up to 1,450 euros will be imposed.

July 8, 2020

Austria: No more Border Controls with Neighbouring Countries except Italy

Restrictions on freedom of travel due to the Corona pandemic will be discontinued. The only country for which restrictions remain in place for the time being is Italy. A further evaluation is planned next week.

June 3, 2020

Coronavirus in Europe: Update

European coronavirus infections have passed 1,000,000. The number of deaths has now reached 166,007. According to the WHO World Health Organisation, the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is still in Europe, together with the US, where there are now more deaths than in the rest of the world. The number of infected and dead people is still doubling every four days in most European countries. Most of the 32 European countries presented in this study are under a state of emergency with curfews and border controls. There is also a lack of doctors, lung respiratory equipment and hospital beds. Following the situation update for the European Union, EEA, United Kingdom and Switzerland, as of April 21, 2020.

April 21, 2020

Easier Access to Austria for Commuters from Abroad

"Ongoing consultations with Austria's neighbouring countries are making life easier for commuters from abroad", says European Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler.

April 14, 2020

Isolated Austria: 238 Border Closures Approved

Almost complete border closures to almost all neighbours, Germany (58), Italy (47), Switzerland (30), Liechtenstein (11), Slovenia (51) and Hungary (43), with the exception of Slovakia, have been approved by the main committee of the National Council and have already been implemented.

March 21, 2020

COVID-19: Risk Assessment on Travel and Visits to Austria

The coronavirus outbreak has now reached Austria and the disease is spreading further. What is the risk of infection when travelling in and to Austria?

February 28, 2020

Reception of Austria-Accredited Ambassadors in the Federal Chancellery

The new Austrian Federal Government is in favour of continuing multilateral cooperation, especially in cooperation with the European countries.

January 31, 2020

Traditional New Year Reception for the Diplomatic Corps in Vienna

The Federal President's Reception for the Diplomatic Corps annually gathers all diplomatic representatives in Vienna in the Ceremonial Hall of the Hofburg.

January 17, 2020

Start of the Austrian-Slovenian Year of Neighbourhood Dialogue

The Federal Ministry for Europe Integration and Foreign Affairs opened the Austrian-Slovenian Year of Neighbourhood Dialogue with a concert with Austrian and Slovenian artists in the Viennese REAKTOR and in the presence of the Slovenian ambassador Ksenija Škrilec. More than 60 cultural events are planned in both countries until autumn 2020.

October 10, 2019

Bulgarian Head of State Radew Met Austria's Heads of State

During the first official visit of the Bulgarian President Rumen Radev to Vienna, he met with President Van der Bellen in the Hofburg, Chancellor Bierlein in the Federal Chancellery and President Sobotka in Parliament.

October 7, 2019

Western Balkans: Meeting of Austria with the Heads of State of Croatia and Slovenia

Traditional meeting of the presidents of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Slovenia, Borut Pahor, and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in the Croatian coastal town of Šibenik. The objective was more common EU foreign policy.

September 5, 2019
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