Sponsored Content
Newsletter: Austria Tries To Play Its Part On The International Political Stage
Goals for Austria's Presidency of the Council of the European Union
On 1 July 2018, Austria will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Bulgaria. During its Presidency of the Council of the European Union (1 July to 31 December 2018), guided by the motto "A Europe that protects", Austria will focus on three key areas: security and the fight against illegal migration, retaining competitiveness through digitalisation, and stability in the neighbouring regions (particularly the accession of the Western Balkans to the EU).
Austria's Role in Brussels' Syria Conference Rather Modest
Austria's recent efforts regarding Syria to make only 4 million additional euros available on the one hand, and Lawrow's clear rejection of Austria's possible mediation role in the Syrian conflict on the other, cannot be classified as a success. Rather than Vienna, the Brussels Conference will seek to resume the UN peace talks in Geneva.
The Window of Opportunity for the Western Balkans
Will the Western Balkan countries be able to take advantage of the moment and will it bring the year 2018 closer to the European Union? In February 2018, a new Enlargement Strategy was presented in Strasbourg by the EU Commission. Bulgaria, currently having the Presidency of the Council of the EU, will organize a major Balkan’s Summit in May. Austria, for a long time one of the most prominent promoters of the EU Enlargement for the Western Balkans and a country deeply intertwined with the region, will assume the EU presidency in the second half of 2018. This year represents one of the crucial moments for enlargement as major steps need to be undertaken to reach the goal of making the enlargement perspective realistic for 2025.
International Congresses: Vienna Worldwide Number Two - UN Events Contribute 7% of Conference Nights
The Vienna meetings industry progresses from record to record. With 186 meetings, Vienna remains behind Paris with 196 meetings, number 2 in the Worldwide Ranking of the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association). In the year prior to that, Vienna was still in fifth place. The proportion of congresses that can be allocated exclusively to the United Nations is enormous and accounts for around 7% of overnight stays.
South Korea's LG Electronics Acquires Austrian Automotive Supplier ZKW for €1.1 Bln
South Korean electronics manufacturer LG Electronics is acquiring the Lower Austrian lighting and electronics systems specialist ZKW for more than 1.1 billion euros. It plans to buy a 70 percent stake in ZKW Holding, a supplier to Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Its holding company LG Corp. will purchase the remaining stake for 330 million Euro. LG hopes to expand its position in the automotive lighting sector for self-driving cars. ZKW was previously wholly owned by the entrepreneur Ulrich Mommert.
Austria Participates in World EXPO 2020 Dubai Investing €16.5 Mln
Austria's participation agreement for the World Expo 2020 from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021 in Dubai has been signed by Government Commissioner Beatrix Karl as part of the "Austria Connect Gulf 2018" event of the WKO Foreign Trade Center (Außenwirtschaftscenter).
What does the Vienna-based ICMPD and its Director General Michael Spindelegger do?
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) was founded in 1993 in Vienna on the initiative of Austria and Switzerland with the aim of making migration and mobility of people orderly, safe and regular, including through the implementation of planned and well managed migration policies. The aim is to counteract the often short-term thinking of governments so that sustainable solutions can be found and implemented in the medium and long term to combat and overcome the migration crisis. From this point of view, the tasks of the ICMPD have become extremely topical and important due to the refugee crisis.
Presentation of the First Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism
Journalist Alexandra Föderl-Schmid will be awarded the First Ari-Rath Prize for Critical Journalism on 3 May 2018, the Day of Freedom of the Press. This prize was established to honour journalists who have rendered outstanding services to critical reporting on immigration, expulsion and asylum, committed to respect for human rights, in the spirit of the former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, who died in January 2017.
New Appointments of Austrian Diplomatic Posts Abroad
At its meeting of 25 April 2018, the Austrian Council of Ministers decided to entrust the following Foreign Ministry officials with the direction of Austrian Missions.
Toys "R" Us in Austria Gets Northern Irish Owner
The Northern Irish toy dealer Smyths Toys takes over the 15 Toys "R" Us toy stores in Austria.
Kapsch TrafficCom AG Awarded Contract to Upgrade TollCollection Equipment on Maryland Roads
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) has awarded Kapsch TrafficCom (Kapsch) a contract to replace and maintain all roadside tolling equipment in the mixed-mode, cash, and express toll lanes under MDTA management. The contract commenced in February 2018 and includes the replacement of all toll equipment, expected to be converted to the Kapsch system by 2020, and six years of subsequent operations and maintenance as well as the option to extend the contract for additional four years. The project volume of the base contract exceeds EUR 55 million and will be managed locally from the Kapsch office in Rockville, Maryland.
The AMBASSY for Ambassadors
In Vienna's embassy district, surrounded by over thirty diplomatic missions, an interesting urban residential object is being created in three lifestyle categories, "The Ambassy Parkside Living".
Sponsored Content
Eurozone Finance Ministers Welcome Austria's Budgetary Plans
The 19 members of the Eurozone welcome Austria's submission of an updated draft budgetary plan for 2018.
Doppelmayr to Build Cable Liner at London Airport
At London Luton Airport, Doppelmayr is building a cable car almost two kilometers long with a capacity of 2,720 passengers per hour and per route. This makes Luton Airport the second airport project in the UK after Birmingham for Doppelmayr. The Cable Liner is scheduled to go into operation in April 2021. Doppelmayr does not give details of the project turnover.
Raiffeisen Centrobank: Yearly Financial Report 2017
Raiffeisen Centrobank AG is declaring the following financial reports below.
Keith Haring at the Albertina: The Alphabet
To mark the 60th birthday of the American artist, who died at the age of 32, the Albertina is showing a large-scale exhibition of 100 internationally sourced works. The special focus will be on the one-of-a-kind symbolic language that is present throughout Haring's oeuvre as an artistic alphabet of sorts.
Diversity Ball 2018 at the Kursalon Vienna: "Your Time Is Now"
The 11th Diversity Ball 2018 with the theme "Your time is Now" will take place on May 5th 2018 and will transform the location Kursalon Wien into a shining symbol for practiced tolerance in our community. In a glittering ball night the organizers would like to set an example for the diversity of our community, for tolerance, accessibility and mutual respect.
