Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 7 February (BelTA) - It is important to build partner and friendly relations based on the equality, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Austria to Belarus Alexander Bayerl said when speaking at the function in the House of Friendship to mark 25 years of the Belarusian-Austrian diplomatic relations on 7 February, BelTA has learned.

“If this is facilitated by the mutual desire to meet each other halfway, this will be a successful relationship,” the Austrian Ambassador believes.

The head of the diplomatic mission stressed that 25 years is not a long period for a human life and very short in the relations between states. He also spoke on the historical perspective of the events that happened 25 years ago: “Then we faced new challenges: the Eastern bloc disintegrated and there came a question what to do next, where to go, how to position ourselves on the international arena in the new world, how to formulate tasks to build new relations.”

Ambassador Alexander Bayerl noted the important role of representatives of the Austrian economy who first began to work with Belarus, including the head of Raiffeisenbank. “Economy is sometimes braver than politics,” said the diplomat.

He stressed that Belarus and Austria have good political relations, as evidenced by the meeting between the two presidents and ministerial exchanges.

The opening of the Austrian Embassy in Minsk and also the Honorary Consulate of Austria was very important, Ambassador Alexander Bayerl believes. In his opinion, after this the relation between the two countries received a new momentum. The diplomat drew attention to the fact that last year when the Austrian Embassy was opened in Belarus was marked by a large-scale Austrian cultural season, during which the Belarusian audience could get acquainted with the diversity of Austrian culture.

The function at the House of Friendship was attended by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Assembly, members of the Belarusian society of friendship and cultural ties with foreign countries, and also representatives of the Austria-Belarus friendship society.