The close ties of the two countries, as well as their common values ​​and positions, were reaffirmed today by the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Federal President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, during the press conference they gave in the context of Mrs. Sakellaropoulou’s official visit to Vienna. The Austrian President warmly praised Greece’s economic development, as well as its strategic position in the energy sector, while central topics on the agenda of the talks were the new flare-up in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis and the European perspective of the Western Balkans.

“Greece is in a strategic position in the Mediterranean and is a strategic partner of Austria in various fields. Bilateral relations have developed significantly in recent years in many areas and are more intensive than ever. Politically, our two governments work closely together bilaterally and in the EU – notably in the areas of immigration and culture. But above all, bilateral economic relations are closer than ever and have further prospects”, said Alexander Van der Bellen and noted, among other things, that the funds of the EU Recovery Fund are an opportunity for investments by Austrian entrepreneurs, in areas such as infrastructure and green technology, which, as he said, in this context are particularly supported.

Mr. Van der Bellen also expressed his deep appreciation for Greece, which, as he emphasized, “after the extremely difficult years, after the economic crisis, the migration crisis, the pandemic and despite the consequences of Russia’s military attack against of Ukraine, managed to stabilize its economy”. He also highlighted the “unprecedented” speed of reduction of the Greek public debt compared to GDP, speaking of the fastest process he knows of.

Referring to the geographical position of Greece, the Austrian President spoke of an “important partner” regarding the security of energy supply and highlighted the efforts to create a regional LNG energy hub, as well as the development of wind and solar energy, which he described as “solutions no alternative’ for the future. “In the summer we saw what the climate crisis is causing”, he emphasized and referred to the images from Greece, on the one hand with floods and on the other with forest fires, but also the fires in Slovenia. “The climate crisis is real and it’s here. It is already happening,” said the “green” politician characteristically and, when asked about the disagreement that has arisen on climate policy issues between Vienna and the EU, he said addressing the governing parties: “The climate crisis is not a funny problem, but a long-term survival issue for humanity. The urgency is already visible.”

Mr Van der Bellen also reiterated the firm Austrian position in favor of the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries. “It is our belief that the Western Balkans cannot and should not remain a blank spot on the EU map,” he said.

The President of the Republic, for her part, spoke of the “close and sincere friendship that connects the peoples” of Greece and Austria and constitutes the “solid basis for the further development of our cooperation on a political, economic and cultural level”. Greece and Austria cooperate, he said, harmoniously within the framework of the EU and the UN and other international organizations, sharing common values ​​and principles and respect for international law.

Referring to the regional developments which “negatively affect our countries, the EU and the international community”, Mrs. Sakellaropoulou reiterated that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is shaking international peace and security and stability in Europe, with particularly negative consequences in various sectors such as energy and food. “We agree that revisionism and the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states cannot be tolerated” he underlined and reaffirmed Greece’s firm support to Kiev, also pointing out the possibility of alternative routes for the transport of goods to and from Ukraine, offered by Greece with the ports of Alexandroupolis and Thessaloniki.

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Katerina Sakellaropoulou once again condemned in the most absolute way “the barbaric and despicable terrorist attack” by Hamas, recognizing “the right and obligation of Israel to defend its citizens, always respecting international humanitarian law”. We welcome the return of hostages to their homeland and demand the release of all hostages, which is certainly a condition for peace, he continued, to emphasize that it is simultaneously important to protect the lives of the civilian population and to have humanitarian ceasefires in order to give the Gaza Strip the necessary help to deal with the dire humanitarian situation. Greece, he said, as a neighboring country and as a friend of both Israel and the Arab countries, is ready to contribute constructively to finding a solution.

The Federal President of Austria joined forces with Mrs. Sakellaropoulou against these two major regional crises. He described as “no longer imperialist, but colonialist” Russia’s war against Ukraine, “an independent sovereign state” and assured support for Kiev. But he also warned of the risk that this support would not be sufficient if there is no American help and for that, he stressed, we in the EU should think about developing our overall defense capability. Regarding the crisis in the Middle East, he called Hamas a “terrorist organization” and called on the Israeli side, the Palestinian side, as well as the US and Europe to make every possible effort for a sustainable peaceful solution in the region. “This certainly requires some changes in the positions” of everyone, he noted.

The President of the Republic also informed her Austrian counterpart about the development of Greek-Turkish relations. “The climate of calm that prevails recently favors the effort to find a common basis for cooperation in the areas of mutual interest,” said the President and added that the consultations that will take place in the coming days in Athens are expected with the aim of further promoting these efforts . Greece, as he said, desires good neighborly relations with all countries in the region – always guided by respect for international law.

Mrs. Sakellaropoulou also thanked the Austrian president for his country’s stance on the Cyprus issue and its contribution to the UN peacekeeping forces in Cyprus, while she referred to the prospect of resuming efforts for a fair, sustainable and functional solution based on international legitimacy and of the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, as well as the European acquis.

On the question of the European perspective of the Western Balkans, the President of the Republic stated that she is convinced that the support of their European perspective is in the political, strategic and economic interest of Europe and at the same time is a strong incentive for the required reforms, mainly in the field of the rule of law and of human rights. Responding to a question about the fact that Greece does not recognize Kosovo, Katerina Sakellaropoulou reiterated Greece’s support, as early as 2002 in Thessaloniki, of the European perspective of the region, but at the same time stressed that the countries concerned should also focus on necessary reforms, mainly in the areas of rule of law and human rights. “The European perspective certainly also concerns Kosovo”, he underlined. “Greece supports this European course, as do other countries. We do not recognize Kosovo, but nevertheless we have a constructive line, which we maintain at the political level, where we wish for the prosperity and development of Kosovo. We are monitoring and supporting the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as the positive outcome of these talks will benefit the European path of both,” he said.

Regarding the climate crisis, the President spoke of a “shared belief that collective efforts are needed in order to reverse the negative consequences and protect citizens from extreme phenomena”.