Diplomatic corps

Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen hosted the New Year's reception for the Diplomatic Corps in the Ceremonial Hall of the Vienna Hofburg. Van der…

He voiced to the diplomatic corps, "As you know, Austria has for years been an advocate for the European integration of the Western Balkan countries. In his speech, Van der Bellen also referred to "particularly severe and massive attacks on human rights" in Iran and Afghanistan, for example. The Federal President called for "reducing dependencies and diversifying," saying that in Austria this applies above all to the energy sector. Van der Bellen once again condemned the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine "in the strongest possible terms" and stressed that Austria's stance was "by no means neutral." Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen hosted a diplomatic New Year's reception at the Hofburg. Van der Bellen used his speech to clarify Austria's diplomatic goals and Austrian Neutrality.