Austria–Georgia relations explained

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.

History

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

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

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

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

See also

• Foreign relations of Austria
• Foreign relations of Georgia
• Georgia–EU relations

Bibliography

• Book: Agstner, Rudolf. Österreich im Kaukasus 1849-1918. Diplomatische Akademie. 1999. 978-3-902021-12-0. de.
• Book: Bihl, Wolfdieter. Die Kaukasus-Politik der Mittelmächte. Böhlau. 1992. 978-3-205-05517-4. de.

External links

• Austrian Foreign Ministry: list of bilateral treaties with Georgia (in German only)
• Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Austria

Notes and References

1. Web site: Embassy of Georgia to Austria . 2009-06-11 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070709232538/http://embassy.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=108 . 2007-07-09 . dead .
2. Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations, ABN correspondence v. 16 (Press Bureau of the AntiBolshevik Bloc of Nations, 1965), 9.
3. Book: Seidl-Hohenveldern, Ignaz. Stephan Verosta. Die völkerrechtliche Praxis der Donaumonarchie von 1859 bis 1918: eine Auswahl von Dokumenten. Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. 1996. 79–81. 978-3-7001-2233-3. de.
4. News: Plassnik demands Russian ceasefire . . August 12, 2008 . 2009-06-11 .
5. News: Austrian minister says Russia no longer a reliable partner . 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. . . August 23, 2008 . 2009-06-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080904070819/http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6494&Itemid=65 . 2008-09-04 .
6. Web site: Relations between Georgia and the Republic of Austria . https://archive.today/20121218071151/http://embassy.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?sec_id=1847&lang_id=ENG . dead . 2012-12-18 . 2009-06-11 . .