Newsletter: A Week Full of Appointments and Awards

Martin Weiss Accredited as New Austrian Ambassador in the United States

The newly appointed Austrian Ambassador Martin Weiss presented the copies of his credentials to U.S. Chief of Protocol Cam Henderson.

Argentine Ambassador to Austria Rafael Grossi Appointed New IAEA Director General

Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi is set to take office as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency in early December, following his appointment to the post by the Agency’s Board of Governors.

Austrian Airlines Sacks 10% of Its Workforce

AUA Austrian Airlines is planning drastic job cuts. Of the current 7,000 jobs, one in ten will be cut by the end of 2021. 700 to 800 employees are expected to be affected. EUR 90 million should be saved annually.

Presentation of the Intercultural Achievement Award 2019 - Dialogue is the "Art of Encounter"

Successful and innovative projects in the field of intercultural and interreligious dialogue have been awarded by the Federal Ministry for Europe Integration and Foreign Affairs.

New Head of the European Commission in Austria Took Up His Post

Martin Selmayr, until recently Secretary General of the European Commission and previously Head of Cabinet of President Jean-Claude Juncker, became Head of the Commission's Representation in Austria on 1 November. The Representation has around 20 staff and acts as a link between Brussels and the people, politics, business, media and interest groups in Austria.

Reopening of the Vienna Office of the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation

200 guests celebrated the opening of the new office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Vienna at the Grand Hotel on Kärtner Ring. The presence in Vienna should strengthen multilateralism and strengthen functioning partnerships with serious democracies. Claudia Crawford becomes head of the Vienna office.

French "Ordre National du Mérite" Awarded to Major General Dorfer

François Saint-Paul, French Ambassador to Austria, has elevated Major General Martin Dorfer, Director in the Cabinet of the Minister of Defence, to the rank of Knight of the French National Order of Merit "Ordre National du Mérite".

Austro-Arab Chamber Secretary General Receives “Decoration of Merit in Gold of the Province of Vienna”

The AACC Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Vienna announced that Secretary General Dipl.-Ing. Mr. Mouddar Khouja was awarded the "Decoration of Merit in Gold of the Province of Vienna", in recognition of his dedication and devotement to the province of Vienna through his personal initiatives and in his professional capacity as Secretary General of AACC.

Travel: Visit the most Beautiful Lake of Austria

Viewers of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) have chosen their "most beautiful place". The most beautiful place in Austria is the turquoise blue Lake Lünersee (Lünersee) at 1,970 metres above sea level in the federal state of Vorarlberg.

Austria Acquires Extraordinary Estate of Star Photographer Yoichi Okamoto

The Austrian National Library recently scored a special coup by purchasing the personal photographic estate of Yoichi R. Okamoto. The Japanese-American, who was promoted to official photographer of the White House under President Lyndon B. Johnson, was head of the American photography service in Austria from 1948 to 1954 and thus had the opportunity to capture post-war Austria directly with his camera.