From Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
BILATERAL COOPERATION BETWEEN UKRAINE AND THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA
Bilateral relations between Ukraine and Austria
Recognition of Ukraine’s independence: January 15, 1992.
Establishment of diplomatic relations: January 24, 1992.
Diplomatic missions: Embassy of Ukraine in Austria (Vienna); Embassy of Austria in Ukraine (Kyiv).
Political relations:
Ukrainian-Austrian relations began immediately after the declaration of Ukraine’s independence on August 24, 1991. Compared to many other Western countries, Austria started political contact with the Ukrainian leadership without waiting for the December 1 referendum. As a result, on September 26, 1991, in New York, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Austria, Anatoliy Zlenko and Alois Mock, signed a Protocol on Consular Relations. On January 24, 1992, diplomatic relations between the two countries were also established.
Ukraine has long-standing historical and cultural ties with Austria, which remains an essential European partner for us today. The Austrian government supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and adheres to the EU sanctions policy against Russia.
In June 2022, Austria supported the decision of the European Council to grant Ukraine the status of an EU candidate.
Since Russia’s open military aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022, an active bilateral political dialogue has been ongoing.
Visits and contacts at the high-level in recent years:
April 24, 2023 – meeting between the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and the President of the National Council of Austria, Wolfgang Sobotka, during the annual Conference of Speakers of EU Parliaments in Prague;
March 20, 2023 – phone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer;
March 2, 2023 – a telephone conversation between Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer;
February 22, 2023 – a video meeting between the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and the President of the National Council of Austria, Wolfgang Sobotka;
February 1, 2023 – visit of Austrian Federal President Alensandr Van der Bellen to Ukraine;
December 1-2, 2022 – Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba met with Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg in the framework of the annual meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers in Lodz (Poland);
October 25, 2022 – the meeting of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, with the President of the National Council of Austria, Wolfgang Sobotka, on the sidelines of the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform in Zagreb (Croatia);
September 20, 2022 – Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba meets with Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York;
July 19-21, 2022 – Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg visits Kyiv as part of a joint visit of the Foreign Ministers of the Slavkov Format;
June 13-15, 2022 – Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk pays an official visit to Austria;
June 22, 2022 – a telephone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer;
June 20, 2022 – a telephone conversation between Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer;
May 25, 2022 – Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba meets with Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenblerg on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos;
May 24, 2022 – phone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer;
April 29, 2022 – a telephone conversation between Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer;
April 9, 2022 – visit of Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer to Ukraine;
March 12, 2022 – phone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen;
March 9, 2022 – Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has a phone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer;
February 12, 2022 – Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has a telephone conversation with Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenblerg;
February 8, 2022 – Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg visits Kyiv as part of a joint visit of the Foreign Ministers of the Slavkov Format.
Bilateral commissions:
The Joint Ukrainian-Austrian Commission on Trade and Economic Relations
(27 April 2021 – the 15th meeting of the Commission was held in the form of a video conference.).
A Ukrainian-Austrian business forum was held within the framework of the Commission meeting, which was attended by about 400 representatives of the business circles of both countries.
The Joint Ukrainian-Austrian Commission on Scientific and Technical Cooperation
(20 September 2018 – the 8th meeting of the Commission was held in Kiev)
Parliamentary cooperation
19 November 2019 – the parliamentary group of deputies on Inter-Parliamentary Relations with the Republic of Austria was established in the Parliament of Ukraine. The group comprises 38 of the deputies of the Parliament of Ukraine. The head of the group is a deputy Igor Petrovich Negulevsky (political party “Servant of the People” Sluha Narodu).
In March 2020, the parliamentary group “Austria-Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus” was established in the Austrian Parliament. The group was formed from 2 deputies of the Bundesrat and 10 deputies of the National Council of Austria.
The parliamentary group was leaded by Helmut Brandstatter. (Parliamentary party NEOS)
POLITICAL DIALOGUE
Contacts at the level of presidents: none
On September 11, 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania Edi Rama.
On March 5, 2022, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania Edi Rama.
On May 3, 2022, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Parliament of the Republic of Albania.
June 15, 2022 – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and Prime Minister of Montenegro Dimitar Abazovych during their joint visit to Ukraine.
January 13, 2023 – telephone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania Edi Rama.
On June 1, 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama held a meeting on the sidelines of the second summit of the European Political Community.
Contacts at the level of heads of parliaments:
July 1, 2011 – bilateral meeting of the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania Jozefina Topalli with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Lytvyn during the summit of the BSEC Parliamentary Assembly (Kyiv).
Contacts at the level of heads of government:
January 19-21, 2020 – the working visit of the Acting Chairman of the OSCE, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania Edi Rama to Ukraine. Meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko and Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk.
June 15, 2022 – Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and Prime Minister of Montenegro Dimitar Abazovych during their joint visit to Ukraine.
Contacts at the level of heads of foreign policy departments:
November 4, 2016 – the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin to Albania (negotiations with the President of Albania Bujar Nishani, the Speaker of the Parliament Illir Meta and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania Dimitri Bushati).
February 21-23, 2018 – the official visit of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania Dimitri Bushati to Ukraine.
June 3, 2021 – a telephone conversation between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania Olta Xhacka.
On May 14, 2022 – the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba held a meeting with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania Olta Xhacka (Berlin).
Bilateral bodies of the highest level: The Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Albanian Commission is in the process of determining the terms of the constituent meeting.
Interparliamentary cooperation:
On December 5, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine created a Deputies’ Group on Interparliamentary Relations with the Republic of Albania, consisting of 6 people (group leader Ihor Vasyliv, Faction of the Political Party “Servant of the People”).
In the new composition of the Albanian Parliament, following the results of the elections on April 25, 2021, a Parliamentary Group on Interparliamentary Relations with Ukraine was formed, which included 5 people (the head of the group is Maiko Pandeli, Socialist Party).
On February 24, 2023, members of the Parliamentary friendship group Xhemal Qefalia, Denis Deliu and Head of the group Pandeli Majko visited Kyiv, where they took part in an extraordinary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada on the anniversary of the Russian war against Ukraine.
CONTRACTUAL LEGAL BASE
Number of valid documents: 19
Key documents: Joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Republic of Albania, Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Albania on the mutual cancellation of visas, Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Albania on the promotion and mutual protection of investments.
The basic agreement on friendship and cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Albania is in the stage of preparation for signing.
Trade and economic cooperation
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, in Year 2020, the volume of trade in goods and services between Ukraine and Albania amounted to 41.0 million dollars. USA (increased by 44.9%).
In Year 2021, the volume of trade in goods and services between Ukraine and Albania amounted to 51.37 million dollars. USA (increased by 25.4%). At the same time, the export of Ukrainian goods and services to Albania amounted to 39.5 million dollars. USA and increased by 25.8%. Import of goods and services from Albania to Ukraine amounted to 11.8 million dollars. USA, which is 24.1% more than in 2020. The balance of trade with Albania is positive for Ukraine and amounts to 27.6 million dollars. USA.
According to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, in 2022, the volume of trade in goods amounted to USD 34.61 million (↓18.4% compared to 2021), of which exports amounted to USD 24.35 million (↓33%), imports amounted to USD 10.26 million (↑34.61%). The balance for Ukraine is positive and amounted to USD 14.09 million.
According to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, during January-March 2023, the volume of trade in goods amounted to USD 12.7 million, of which exports amounted to USD 6.887 million, imports amounted to USD 5.815 million. The balance for Ukraine is positive and amounted to USD 1.072 million.
In the structure of exports of Ukrainian goods to Albania dominate: ferrous metals (32.3%); fats and oils of animal or vegetable origin (24.1%); grain crops (14.6%); wood and wood products (4.9%); milk, dairy products, poultry eggs, natural honey (3.4%); nuclear reactors, boilers, machines (2.7%); seeds and products of oil plants (2.5%), etc.
The structure of imports from Albania is dominated by deliveries of: vegetables (40.9%); ferrous metals (12.1%); mineral fuel; oil and products of its distillation (23.0%); ferrous metal products (14.6%); shoes (7.5%); clothing and accessories for clothing, knitwear (2.5%); edible fruits and nuts (2.4%); seeds and fruits of oil plants (2.2%).
Support within international organizations and initiatives:
On August 23, 2021, Austria joined the Crimean Platform initiative by ensuring its participation in the inaugural summit at the level of the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg. It supported the joint declaration of the summit participants. In 2022, during the Second Summit of the Crimean Platform, Austria was also represented by the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg; on October 25, 2022, the President of the National Council of the Austrian Parliament, Wolfgang Sobotka, took part in the inaugural Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform in Zagreb (Croatia). As a result of the summit, the Austrian side joined the Joint Statement of the event participants; on March 31, 2023, the Austrian side took part in the Bucha Summit and joined the joint declaration.
Austria became a co-sponsor of the UN General Assembly resolutions introduced by Ukraine: “Territorial integrity of Ukraine” (68/262) of March 27, 2014 (68th session of the UN General Assembly); “Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine” (75/192) of December 16, 2020 (75th session of the UN General Assembly); “The problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine), as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov” (75/29) of December 7, 2020 (75th session of the UN General Assembly) and the resolution “Cooperation with and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights,” adopted on July 13, 2021, at the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Austria also co-sponsored the resolutions “Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine” and “The problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine), as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov” during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (2021). Within the framework of the 11th UN General Assembly Emergency Special Session on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Austria supported and co-sponsored the resolutions “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine” (March 2022), “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: protection of the principles of the UN Charter” (October 2022) and “Establishment of a mechanism for the establishment of a mechanism for the protection of the territorial integrity of Ukraine” (October 2022). ) and resolutions “On the establishment of a mechanism for compensating Ukraine for the damage caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine” (November 2022) and “Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine” (December 15, 2022). On February 23, 2023, Austria co-authored a resolution in the UN General Assembly on “Principles of the UN Charter underpinning a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.”
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- Austria supported suspending Russia’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council in response to the war crimes committed in Bucha and other cities of Ukraine during a special session of the UN General Assembly on April 7, 2022.
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- Austria will support Ukraine in condemning and punishing war crimes committed by Russia within the framework of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism. The OSCE Moscow Mechanism in the Human Dimension was initiated by Ukraine together with 45 other OSCE participating States to establish violations of international humanitarian law, including deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, during the war against Ukraine launched by the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022.
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- In March 2023, Austria joined the states working on establishing the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
Legal framework:
Number of bilateral documents in force: 89
Signed in 2023:
01.02.2023 – Memorandum of Understanding on establishing an energy partnership in energy transformation and renewable energy between the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of Austria.
01.02.2023 – Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Environment between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of Austria.
16.05.2023 – Protocol of Intentions on Cooperation between Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy and the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection of Austria.
Signed in 2022:
23.06.2022 – Memorandum of Understanding between the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Austria.
On September 04, 2022, the Framework Agreement was signed between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Austria on Economic Cooperation in Project Development.
22.11.2022 – Memorandum between the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance on cooperation in the field of digitalization.
Trade and economic cooperation:
Despite Russia’s open-armed aggression against Ukraine, Austrian businesses maintained a high interest in Ukraine during the year, including an increase in exports of domestic products to Austrian markets, which significantly contributed to the national economy.
According to the Austrian Statistical Office, bilateral trade between Ukraine and Austria amounted to EUR 1.7 billion in 2022, up 0.8% year-on-year. At the same time, exports of domestic products increased by 12.2% to EUR 1.2 billion, while imports of Austrian products decreased by 18.4% to EUR 507.2 million.
Due to martial law in Ukraine, the data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and the NBU for 2022 are not published.
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the foreign trade turnover between Ukraine and Austria increased by 54% in 2021 and amounted to about USD 2.0 billion. At the same time, exports of goods and services from Ukraine increased by 64%, reaching USD 1.1 billion. At the same time, imports from Austria increased by 45% to USD 974 million.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, the cumulative volume of Austrian investments in 2021 amounted to about USD 1.3 billion. Austria remains the sixth largest investor, representing 3.0% of total foreign direct investment in Ukraine’s economy.
- Procurement of 155mm ammunition through European Defense Agency [To be delivered].[25]
- 10,059 helmets[26]
- 9,300 flak jackets [March 2022].[26]
- Austria has allowed its territory to be used for transport of weapons to Ukraine by other countries.[27]
- 2 million euro for the purchase of demining equipment for Ukraine.[28]
Cooperation in the field of culture:
Introducing Ukrainian-language audio guides remained one of Ukraine’s cultural diplomacy priorities in 2020. On September 16, 2020, the President of Ukraine and his wife took part in the official ceremony of launching a Ukrainian-language audio guide at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM) in the context of the continuation of the project “Ukrainian-language audio guides in the world’s leading museums” in 2020 at the initiative of the wife of the President of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. This is the second Ukrainian-language audio guide implemented in Austrian museums as part of the project of the wife of the President of Ukraine – in early June 2020, the Albertina Gallery in Vienna also started speaking Ukrainian. All three leading Austrian museums (KHM, Albertina, Belvedere) now have Ukrainian-language audio guides.
In June 2021, the fourth project was implemented at the Kunst Haus Wien/Museum Hundertwasser in Vienna.
In June 2022, a Ukrainian-language audio guide was completed and launched at the Schönbrunn Imperial Palace.
The project of a Ukrainian-language audio guide in the Imperial Chamber of Jewels of the Hofburg Palace is at the practical implementation stage.
The Ukrainian community in Austria:
Total number: As of June 2023, the Embassy’s consular register includes about 2.2 thousand people.
According to official statistics, about 15 thousand Ukrainian citizens live in Austria, while 9398 Ukrainian citizens have permanent residence permits in Austria. The number of people granted “temporary protection” in Austria due to the large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine exceeds 97 thousand.
Associations of Ukrainians:
The Ukrainian community in Austria is quite active. There are several Ukrainian NGOs, including The Austrian-Ukrainian Society in Vienna, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Brotherhood of St. Barbara the Great Martyr in Vienna, Plast, the Ukrainian scouting organization in Austria, the Sports and Cultural Society Ukraine-Vienna, the Lesya Ukrainka Society of Ukrainian Culture in Austria, and the Ukrainian Cultural Association in Austria. Lesya Ukrainka Society (TUCA), the Ukrainian Pedagogical Center and its Ukrainian school Erudite, the Ivan Franko Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center and its Ukrainian Saturday School in Vienna, the Society for the Support of Greek Catholic Churches in Austria – Barbareum, and the Ukrainian Cultural Society in Graz – Ridna Domivka. In the reporting period, this list was expanded by two more Ukrainian NGOs: Mriya – Political, Economic, Sports Association, and the Ukrainian volunteer organization YOUkraine.