Foreign relations between Austria and Georgia. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992 and Georgia opened its embassy in Vienna in 1996.[1] Austria is represented in Georgia through a non resident ambassador based in Vienna, and through an honorary consulate in Tbilisi. Georgia has an embassy in Vienna and an honorary consulate in Graz. Austria is a member of the European Union, which Georgia applied for in 2022. Both nations are members of the Council of Europe.

Austrian-Georgian relations
Map indicating locations of Austria and Georgia

Austria

Georgia

History

edit

At the end of World War I, Austria-Hungary was, together with the other central powers, the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire, one of the first and only nations that recognized the independence of the short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918.[2] The first ambassador was Georg von und zu Franckenstein.[3]

During the 2008 South Ossetia war, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik urged "Russia to respect the territorial integrity of Georgia, considering the UN resolution."[4] She also said that Russia's military intervention in Georgia had seriously undermined its credibility as a reliable partner of the West.[5]

Bilateral agreements

edit

The following bilateral agreements are in place:[6]

  • Agreement between Georgia and the Republic of Austria on Bilateral Foreign Economic Relations
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic Austria
  • Air Transport Agreement between the Austrian Federal Government and the Government of Georgia
  • Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Republic of Austria for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments
  • Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Republic of Austria for Avoidance of Double Taxation
  • Protocol on the Amendment to the Air Transport Agreement the Austrian Federal Government and the Government of Georgia

Official visits

edit

The following occurred:[6]

  • January 19–21, 2006; A visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Gela Bezhuashvili to Vienna for the International Conference on "European Strategies of Development of Democracies in Post Soviet Countries"
  • February 22–26, 2006; Visit of Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Nino Burjanadze to Austria
  • March 26–29, 2006; Working visit of Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Noghaideli to Austria
  • May 4–5, 2006; Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Ivane Merabishvili to Austria
  • October 27, 2006; Prime Minister of Georgia, Zurab Noghaideli, to Austria

Resident diplomatic missions

edit
  • Austria has an embassy in Tbilisi.
  • Georgia has an embassy in Vienna.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Embassy of Georgia to Austria". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 2007-07-09. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  2. ^ Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations, ABN correspondence v. 16 (Press Bureau of the AntiBolshevik Bloc of Nations, 1965), 9.
  3. ^ Seidl-Hohenveldern, Ignaz; Stephan Verosta (1996). Die völkerrechtliche Praxis der Donaumonarchie von 1859 bis 1918: eine Auswahl von Dokumenten (in German). Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. pp. 79–81. ISBN 978-3-7001-2233-3.
  4. ^ "Plassnik demands Russian ceasefire". Wiener Zeitung. August 12, 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  5. ^ "Austrian minister says Russia no longer a reliable partner". Agence France-Presse. August 23, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-09-04. Retrieved 2009-06-11. Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said Saturday that Russia's military intervention in Georgia had seriously undermined its credibility as a reliable partner of the West.
  6. ^ a b "Relations between Georgia and the Republic of Austria". Georgia. Archived from the original on 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2009-06-11.

Bibliography

edit
  • Agstner, Rudolf (1999). Österreich im Kaukasus 1849-1918 (in German). Diplomatische Akademie. ISBN 978-3-902021-12-0.
  • Bihl, Wolfdieter (1992). Die Kaukasus-Politik der Mittelmächte (in German). Böhlau. ISBN 978-3-205-05517-4.
edit