Afghanistan

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

Schallenberg on Afghanistan: "Particularly close coordination between the EU partners is essential."

Before a virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg commented on the escalating events surrounding the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. He stressed the necessity for cooperation among the EU member states to help deal with the situation.

August 20, 2021

Austria: Establishment of Deportation Centers in the Region Surrounding Afghanistan to Enable Deportations in the Future

Austria's Interior Minister Karl Nehammer has proposed deportation centers in Afghanistan's neighboring countries at the Special Council of EU Interior Ministers.

August 19, 2021

Van der Bellen on Afghanistan: "Deportations are contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights"

Austrian President Van der Bellen voiced his opinion on the situation in Afghanistan and the takeover of power by the radical Islamic Taliban. "The considerations to continue deporting Afghan citizens to Afghanistan are in contradiction to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is anchored in the Austrian Constitution and prohibits sending people back to a country where they have to expect persecution, torture and murder."

August 17, 2021

Austria and Afghanistan: The Dilemma with Deportations

While the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), human rights organizations and the Afghan ambassador to Austria, H.E. Ms. Manizha Bakhtari, plead for a stop to deportations, Austria continues to adhere to repatriations to Afghanistan. Read more why.

August 6, 2021 · Updated: August 9, 2021; 08:08

New NATO Liaison Office in Vienna

The NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg and Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg have signed the headquarters agreement for the NATO Liaison Office in Vienna.

May 12, 2021

Youth, Peace, and Security: Preventive Diplomacy Ambassadors Practice Conflict Prevention Strategy

Preventive Diplomacy Academy graduates from UNRCCA (UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia), Young Turkmen SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Ambassadors and CTBTO Youth Group representatives had a great opportunity to express their views and ideas.

April 29, 2021

Manizha Bakhtari, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan Presents Credentials

The new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Afghanistan to Austria, Manizha Bakhtari, presented her Letters of Credence. She was the former Afghan ambassador to the Nordic Countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland), and previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

March 15, 2021

Vienna Welcomes New Ambassadors from Spain, Kazakhstan, Ireland, Ghana, Argentina and Afghanistan

Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen welcomed the six newly accredited Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Ireland, the Republic of Ghana, the Argentine Republic and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Austria to the Presidential Chancellery of the Vienna Imperial Palace for the presentation of their letters of accreditation.

March 4, 2021

Afghanistan - Reopening of Austrian Embassy in Kabul in Discussion

At about the same time as the drama about the 16-year-old girl killed by a 17-year-old Afghan in her childrens' room in Steyr took its course in Austria, H.E. Idrees Zaman Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan and Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl met to discuss the reopening of the Austrian Embassy in Kabul, visa issues and other issues of mutual interest.

December 14, 2018

Austria, the OSCE and the Asia Pacific - Effective Multilateralism in a Globalized World

The Austrian Foreign Ministry in the framework of its Chairmanship of the OSCE Asian Contact Group (Afghanistan, Australia, Korea, Japan and Thailand), is organizing a conference on “Effective Multilateralism in a globalized world - The case of Europe and Asia Pacific” at Palais Niederösterreich, Vienna. The conference will focus on multilateral security mechanisms in Europe and the Asia Pacific region, as well as on economic connectivity and co-operation.

May 14, 2018

Report: Drug Money and Opiate Trafficking on the Balkan Route

A report recently launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that the total value of illicit heroin and opium trafficked from Afghanistan to Western Europe through the Balkans amounts to some $28 billion every year. Sixty-five per cent of this total ($18 billion) is generated in Western and Central Europe.

December 14, 2015

Humanitarian Crisis: OSCE Can Be Important Platform for Co-Operation

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today met refugees and representatives of local aid organizations at the Vienna West railway station (Westbahnhof), where he was briefed by Austria’s Interior Ministry and the Vienna police about their operations.

September 24, 2015

Cost of Living Rankings: CEE Capitals Cheaper, Vienna is 32nd Most Expensive City

The Mercer's 2014 Cost of Living Rankings have been published and cover 211 cities across five continents. While Western European cities have all risen in the rankings mainly due to the strengthening of the Euro against the US dollar, most cities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), however have fallen in the ranking as a result of local currencies depreciating against the US dollar. Bratislava (#84), Prague (#92), Kiev (#98), Ljubljana (#116), Zagreb (#120), Budapest (#135), Warsaw (#142), Belgrade (#184).

July 25, 2014

Direct Connection with Kabul - Afghan Kam Air Lands in Vienna

The private Afghan airline Kam Air started with the direct flights Kabul-Vienna-Kabul.

September 16, 2010
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