Russia

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

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

Landing Ban at Austrian Airports Extended from 10 to 18 Countries

In the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Austria will reinforce the landing bans for aircraft from COVID-19 risk areas as of Thursday, 16 July. Thus, landing bans will apply to aircraft from the following countries: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Iran, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, United Kingdom and Ukraine.

July 14, 2020

Disarmament Talks Russia-USA in Vienna

Representatives from the USA and Russia are currently meeting in Vienna's Palais Niederösterreich to rescue the last active nuclear disarmament treaty "New Start".

June 22, 2020

What Does Dr. Karin Kneissl Do?

The former Foreign Minister (55) lives in Seibersdorf near Vienna and works again as an energy analyst and author of books on geopolitics, the energy industry and International relations. A columnist's article on the future of the automobile on the Russian state broadcaster Russia Today (RT), in order to market her new book "Die Mobilitätswende" (Mobility Turnaround), is attracting attention in the Austrian media.

May 13, 2020

Austria Suspends Travel also with Great Britain, Russia, the Netherlands and Ukraine

After Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, Iran and parts of China, Austria is now also discontinuing air and rail traffic with Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine.

March 15, 2020

Russia Commemorates 500 Officers Murdered by Austrians

During a memorial service for the victims of a horrible war crime, ceremonial wreath-laying ceremonies were held in the Mühlviertel district, attended by Russian, Israeli and Austrian representatives. Known under the euphemistic name "Mühlviertler Hasenjagd" (Mühlviertel hare/rabbit hunt), in February 1945 National Socialist units as well as soldiers and civilians hunted and murdered over 500 escaped Soviet prisoners after a major escape from the Mauthausen concentration camp.

February 3, 2020

Russian Embassy: Economic Networking Russia and Austria

In order to promote economic relations between the two countries, Ambassador Dmitrij Ljubinskij invited about 160 members of the Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte (WdF) to the Russian Embassy in Vienna (Nassaupalais - Palais Simon Vienna).

January 31, 2020

UN Executive Director Yury Fedotov Bids Farewell to Vienna

The Russian diplomat Yury Fedotov, who was - until December 31, 2019 - the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and also the Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna (UNOV) has now officially taken his leave.

January 30, 2020

Hacker Attack against the Austrian Foreign Ministry: Which "State Actor" is behind it?

Since the beginning of the year, the IT system of the Foreign Ministry has been exposed to a serious cyber attack. Due to the severity and nature of the attack, it was quickly suspected that a state actor was behind the attack. Foreign Minister Schallenberg has issued a statement to this effect.

January 23, 2020

Austria in Favour of Maintaining Sanctions against Russia

The sanctions against Russia will be extended for a further six months. Although positive developments have been identified, they were not enough to lift the sanctions.

December 12, 2019

Schallenberg in St. Petersburg: Art, Culture and Human Rights

Alexander Schallenberg travelled to Saint Petersburg to sign a declaration with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Medinsky on the programme of the "Year of Literature and Theatre Austria".

November 18, 2019

Extradition of Oligarch Firtash to United States Remains "Suspended"

Although Austria has already agreed to the extradition of Dmytro Firtash, the latter may remain in Austria, as the resumption application submitted by his lawyers has a suspensive effect. During the meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Vadym Prystaiko, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was confronted with the question of the state of affairs regarding Dmytro Firtash.

November 14, 2019

Ukraine: Schallenberg Meets New Ukrainian Foreign Minister Prystaiko

During his visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev, Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg met the new Ukrainian counterpart Vadym Prystaiko, and highlighted the good bilateral relations between the two countries.

November 14, 2019 · Updated: November 14, 2019; 16:09

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

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Russian Embassy Vienna

The Russian Embassy in Vienna is the diplomatic representation of Russia vis-à-vis the Republic of Austria. Since 1891 it has been located in Reisnerstrasse in the 3rd district of Vienna, in the former palace of the banker Israel Simon and the Duke of Nassau. The two most important meetings that took place there were those between Nikita Khrushchev and John F. Kennedy, and between Leonid Brezhnev and Jimmy Carter.

September 19, 2019

Meet the Russian Ambassador to Austria: H.E. Dmitrij Ljubinskij

H.E. Mr. Dmitrij Ljubinskij (born 1967) is a Russian career diplomat from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, who worked for almost 10 years at the Russian Embassy in Germany and has held the office of Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Austria since 2015.

September 2, 2019

Schallenberg: End of Cold War-Era Missile Pact is Threat to European Security

Austria's Foreign Minister regrets the end of the INF Treaty and calls for the voluntary non-stationing of land-based medium-range missiles in Europe.

August 3, 2019

Austrian Parliament: Termination of EU Accession Negotiations with Turkey, Extension of Sanctions against Russia

In a statement to the government, the EU Main Committee of the Austrian National Council has unanimously spoken out in favour of breaking off EU accession negotiations with Turkey. Instead, the parliamentary groups believe that a strategic partnership should be sought.

June 21, 2019

Western Balkans: Austrians Demand EU Accession Negotiations Begin

After the EU Commission issued a recommendation for the opening of accession talks with the two Western Balkan states North Macedonia and Albania, the European parliamentarians of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) Karas and Mandl demand that the "promises" be kept. The decision to open accession talks will be taken by the Member States later in June.

June 5, 2019

Russia Expands Network in Upper Austria

Wolfgang Mayer of the company Backaldrin was elected Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation for Upper Austria in Asten/Upper Austria by the Russian Ambassador in Austria, H.E. Dmitrij Ljubinskij. After the already established Honorary Consulates in Innsbruck and Bludenz, he thus takes over the third Russian Honorary Consulate in Austria. His task is to look after the 3000 Russians in Upper Austria and to promote culture and education.

May 16, 2019

Putin and Van der Bellen Open Sochi Dialogue Forum

The Sochi Dialogue Russian Austrian Forum was opened in the Black Sea port city as part of a working discussion between Russian and Austrian representatives from politics, business, science, education, art and culture.

May 15, 2019

The Ambassadors of the Four Allied Powers in the Austrian Federal Chancellery

On the occasion of the "Liberation" Day of Austria from National Socialism by the Allies in 1945 and the end of the Second World War (Victory in Europe Day), Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz received the four ambassadors of the USA (Trevor Traina), Great Britain (Leigh Turner), France (representative of Francois Marcel Michel Saint-Paul) and Russia (Dmitrij Ljubinskij) at the Federal Chancellery.

May 13, 2019

Sberbank Europe Generates Net Profit of EUR 34 Million

Vienna based Sberbank Europe looks back at its best annual result since the acquisition of Austrian Volksbank International in 2012.

April 11, 2019

Leaders Discuss Azerbaijani-Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in Vienna

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met in Vienna for the first time under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to discuss the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The two heads of state also met with Austrian President Van der Bellen and Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

April 5, 2019

Sergey Lavrov to Participate in Session of UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the annual meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs at the Vienna International Center and also met Federal President van der Bellen during his visit to exchange ideas.

March 14, 2019

What is Lukoil and What Does It Do in Austria?

Lukoil Oil Company is the second largest Russian oil multinational with a turnover of USD 102 billion, of which approximately USD 250 million comes from Austria. Lukoil has been represented in Austria since 1995 and currently operates from Vienna four subsidiaries with activities in 40 countries.

March 13, 2019

Austrian Foreign Ministry Summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Scherba for Talks

Journalist Christian Wehrschütz has been barred from entering Ukraine for one year. The Austrian Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Johannes Peterlik and Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, demand the lifting of the entry ban for ORF correspondent Christian Wehrschütz.

March 11, 2019

Austria's Dependence on Russian Gas Increased by 33 Percent

The effects of the amendment to the contract on gas supplies from Russia to Austria signed last year become visible. A meeting in Moscow between Rainer Seele, Chairman of the Executive Board of OMV, and Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, revealed that gas deliveries between January 1 and March 5, 2019 increased by 32.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.

March 6, 2019

Chancellor Kurz in Washington, D.C. - Trump Demands Higher Military Expenditures

US President Donald Trump and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz met in the White House for a working meeting. The trade relations, the demand for higher military expenditures for Austria, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project and the Serbia-Kosovo conflict were addressed.

February 21, 2019

Olexander Scherba - ORF Foreign Correspondent Wehrschütz has Violated Sovereignty of Ukraine

In the case of the controversial Ukraine correspondent of the ORF, Christian Wehrschütz, the Ukrainian ambassador in Vienna, H.E. Dr. Olexander Scherba, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, announced in a written statement that the accreditation in the war zone of Ukraine was "unlikely". The reason is still the "illegal" crossing (documentary filming) of the Crimean bridge which was illegally built by the Russian side.

February 12, 2019

The End of the INF Treaty - Europe Could Become a Nuclear War Zone

In an interview with the APA - Austria Press Agency the political scientist and disarmament expert Heinz Gärtner recently stated that the background of the US termination of the INF Treaty on the Prohibition of Medium-Range Nuclear Weapons might be the expansion of the deterrence potential and that Europe could thus become the target area of a nuclear conflict. At a panel discussion organized by the International Institute for Peace (IIP) on 11 February 2019, Heinz Gärtner, together with representatives of the United States and the Russian Federation, will examine the background of this issue.

February 5, 2019

Austria's Contribution to the OSCE in 2019

The Main Committee of the Austrian National Council recently approved the continuation of numerous deployments to international missions, including tasks in the framework of the OSCE Special Observation Mission to Ukraine, the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the EU Mission to Georgia, where, inter alia, cooperation with the OSCE is taking place.

January 10, 2019

Russia on the World Stage - Andrej Kolesnikov and Nina Khrushcheva at the Kreisky Forum

Professor Nina Khrushcheva interviewed Russian journalist Andrej Kolesnikov about the current situation and prospects in Russia.

November 22, 2018

Russian Espionage Incident in the Austrian Armed Forces

A colonel of the Austrian Armed Forces is suspected of having worked for decades with a Russian intelligence service. Foreign Minister Kneissl quoted the Russian chargé d'affaires to the Foreign Ministry and cancelled her planned trip to Russia.

November 9, 2018

Eurasian Economic Union vs. European Union - Perspectives and Limits

At Lansky, Ganzger + Partner, at the meeting room of the Austrian-Kazakh Society (ÖKG - Österreichisch-Kasachische Gesellschaft), a number of prominent participants met for a panel discussion to explore the relationship between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU, EEU), to which Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia belong, and the European Union (EU) entitled "The Eurasian Economic Union and the EU - Perspectives and Limits of a Partnership". The conference was hosted by the Research Centre for Eurasian Studies (EURAS), the Austrian-Kazakh Society (ÖKG - Österreichisch-Kasachische Gesellschaft) and the Austrian-Belarusian Society (ÖWG - Österreichisch-Weißrussische Gesellschaft).

October 30, 2018

OMV Celebrates 50 Years of Lucrative Natural Gas Business

On 1 June 1968, a historic gas supply contract was signed in Vienna, establishing Austria’s role as a key country in Europe’s natural gas network. The 50-year collaboration with Russia is a win-win situation. Then, as now, natural gas plays a key role in OMV's portfolio, as European demand will continue to increase over the next decades. OMV is Gazprom’s main partner in Austria. The companies cooperate in gas production, transportation and supplies.

June 6, 2018

Putin's Austria Visit: Extension of Gazprom Gas Supply Contract until 2040

OMV has formally confirmed the extension of the gas supply contract with Russia's Gazprom on the occasion of the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Austria by the two CEOs Alexey Miller and Rainer Seele.

June 6, 2018

Vladimir Putin on PR Campaign in Austria

Vladimir Putin is on his sixth official state visit to Austria. Officially, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the gas supply contract between Austria and Russia, this is a working visit to President Van der Bellen and Chancellor Kurz. In fact, a new gas supply contract between Gazprom and OMV is the main reason for the visit. Other gas deals are still in the negotiation phase, namely the Gazprom Urengoy gas field asset swap and the Nordstream 2 pipeline project. The Central European Gas Hub in Baumgarten/Lower Austria, an important gas distribution hub from the Russian perspective, could also be on the agenda.

June 5, 2018

Van der Bellen in Estonia: Child of Refugees Back in the Motherland of Parents

Austrian Federal President Van der Bellen is on an official visit to the Estonian capital Tallinn. As a child of Russian-Estonian refugees born in Vienna, some melancholic emotions cannot be excluded.

May 30, 2018

Sonja Sarközi Appointed New CEO of Sberbank Europe

Sonja Sarközi, currently Chief Retail Banking Officer of Sberbank Europe, has been appointed as new CEO by the supervisory board. She will succeed Gerhard Randa as of 1 July 2018.

May 29, 2018

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).

April 25, 2018

Tourism: Vienna Achieves New Record Number of Overnight Stays

Vienna recorded a new tourist record in March with an increase of 8.5% compared to the previous year. The number of guest overnight stays rose to 1,169,000. Most of the tourists came from Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, the UK and Switzerland.

April 19, 2018

Russia's Yelena Baturina Divests Grand Tirolia Hotel for €45 Mln

The billionaire and wife of Yury Luzhkov, the former Moscow mayor, is selling her Kitzbühel 5-star hotel for 45 million euros to an investor. Rumour has it that the investor is looking for an international operator.

April 10, 2018

Former Finance Minister Schelling Appointed Gazprom Advisor

Hans Jörg Schelling, former Austrian Minister of Finance until December 2017, has signed an advisory contract with Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline three months after his handover. OMV is also involved in the project, of which he was the owner's representative as Austrian Minister of Finance.

March 30, 2018

Vienna - Moscow: Maintaining All Communication Channels Is Crucial

All the evidence suggests that Russia is to blame for the poison attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. To date, 19 EU countries and 7 non-EU countries have expelled more than 150 diplomats. By deciding not to expel Russian diplomats, Austria is opposing most of its partner countries.

March 27, 2018

RBI Doubles Net Profit, Pays Dividends Again and Returns to Growth Course

RBI - Raiffeisen Bank International has doubled its profit in 2017 and rewards shareholders. They have not received any dividends since 2013. The bank had to pursue a sharp austerity course, reduce international business volumes, close branches in Eastern Europe and stop dividend payments. Russia remains the most important source of income.

March 15, 2018

The OSCE in 2030: Undivided Security in Europe Now More at Risk Than 10 Years Ago

In the Austrian National Defence Academy, the security issue "The OSCE in 2030: Undivided Security in Europe restored?" was discussed in the form of a public panel discussion. At the invitation of the International Institute for Peace (IIP), the Karl-Renner-Institut, the Scientific Cluster for Polemology and Legal Ethics, the FES Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe (ROCPE), the Austrian National Defence Academy and the ISP Institute for Security Policy, Hannes Swoboda as moderator and the panelists Thomas Greminger, Fyodor Lukyanov, Stephanie Liechtenstein, Alena Kupchyna discussed the hoped-for security policy development of Europe and the OSCE.

March 7, 2018

Chancellor Kurz Visits President Putin: "The situation in Syria is dramatic"

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz traveled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin. The focus of the trip was a working meeting with the Russian President, with whom Kurz discussed, among other things, the bilateral relations of both countries, the relationship between Russia and the EU, the Ukraine conflict and the current situation in Syria.

February 28, 2018

Federal President Widow Margot Klestil-Löffler Designated to Become Special Envoy to Russia and China

Due to tensions in the CEI Central European Initiative in Trieste between the Italian diplomat Giovanni Caracciolo di Vietri as CEI Secretary General and his deputy Margot Klestil-Löffler, it is rumored that the Foreign Office must find a new job for Klestil-Löffler. This is what the daily "Der Standard" writes in its Thursday issue.

February 23, 2018
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