Inaugural Visit of the Austrian Ambassador to Colorado and Utah

Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner visited Denver, CO and Salt Lake City, UT from February 28 to March 8, 2017.

In Denver, he met with Mayor Michael B. Hancock. He also exchanged views with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who attended a private dinner at the residence of the Austrian Honorary Consul in Denver and CEO of Western Union, Hikmet Ersek.

Furthermore, the Ambassador visited the University of Denver, accompanied by Honorary Vice Consul Dr. Nayantara Ghosh-Ersek and met with faculty members. Earlier in the day, Director Christoph Heinrich had toured Ambassador Waldner through the Denver Art Museum after an exchange of views on the diverse museum landscapes in Austria and the U.S., given that Ambassador Waldner had been the first Director of Vienna's MuseumsQuartier for over a decade.

Business talks with representatives of Austrian companies completed the productive trip.

In Salt Lake City, Ambassador Waldner discussed relations between Utah and Austria in a private meeting with Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox, as well as at a business round table with Utah entrepreneurs, led by Austrian Honorary Consul and Director for Diplomacy and International Protocol at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Franz Kolb. Furthermore, Ambassador Waldner was honored by an invitation to speak about Austria on the floor of the Utah Senate.

A private dinner at Utah philanthropist and businessman Kem Gardner’s house furthermore provided the backdrop for talks with Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski.

Besides a museum round table with leading representatives of cultural institutions at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and a visit of the Natural History Museum of Utah, the last day of the visit was dedicated to the official opening of the new office of the Austrian Honorary Consulate as well as a meeting with President Uchtorf of the Church of Latter Day Saints (“Mormons”) followed by a tour of Temple Square.