Austria's Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Michael Spindelegger and Governor of the National Bank of Austria Ewald Nowotny visited Washington, D.C. from April 10 - 13 to attend the 2014 Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group. During the 3-day event, thousands of government officials, journalists, civil society organizations, and invited participants from the academia and private sectors, gathered to discuss current global issues and international developments. In the framework of the spring meetings, Mr. Spindelegger and Mr. Nowotny also attended a special evening reception at the residence of Austrian Ambassador Hans Peter Manz on April 10, 2014.

On April 23, Ambassador Manz attended the groundbreaking of voestalpine's direct reduction plant in Texas, where, after about a year of preparation, Wolfgang Eder, CEO of voestalpine, broke ground for the construction. This € 550 million (approx. $ 764 million) investment is the largest foreign investment in the history of the Austrian Group.

On April 27, 2014, Austrian quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger was inducted as a Foreign Associate into the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. He is one of 21 Foreign Associates from 14 countries who were elected in April of the previous year in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership in the Academy is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can receive.

On April 28, 2014, former EU-Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development and current president of the European Alpbach Forum, Dr. Franz Fischler spoke at the prestigious Metropolitan Club in Washington, D.C. In his speech titled "Europe 2020 and beyond," Dr. Fischler discussed the situation of the European Union today and previewed opportunities and challenges Europe may encounter in the future.

When: May 19th, 2014
Where: Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York

When: May 21st, 2014
Where: Austrian Cultural Forum, New York

In the past years, exil.arte has attempted to bring composers to the public, which were ostracized, banished or killed by national socialists. exil.arte organizes staging concerts, symposiums and workshops and publishes CDs and book series. The concerts encompassed in „EXIT TO USA" are supposed to communicate the knowledge about these composers outside of Austria. Austrian Cultural Forums in Paris, New York, and Mexico City are the main co-partners for theses series of concerts. Young musicians, who work very enthusiastically on this new repertoire, will give the performances predominantly.

When: Saturday, May 10, 2014 | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: Embassy of Austria | Washington, DC

On May 10, 2014 the Embassy of Austria in Washington, D.C. will open its doors to the public as part of the annual EU Embassies' Open House: a day of family fun, food, culture and more. The event offers visitors a rare look inside the embassies and provides a unique opportunity to experience the cultural heritage and national traditions of the 28 EU member states.