Foreign Minister Schallenberg Visits New York, Washington and Princeton
On February 5, 2020, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed his newly appointed Austrian counterpart, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg at the State Department to “take our strategic partnership to the next level,” as he stated on Twitter.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo receives Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the State Department on February 5, 2020
After the one-on-one meeting, Foreign Minister Schallenberg attended the formal launch of the International Religious Freedom Alliance, an initiative by the Trump Administration. The Republic of Austria is among the first 27 countries to join this alliance, which aims to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world.
Foreign Minister Schallenberg during the launch meeting of the International Religious Freedom Alliance
The next day, Foreign Minister Schallenberg and Ambassador Martin Weiss attended the 68th National Prayer Breakfast, which brings together more than 3,000 elected U.S. officials, diplomats, national and international religious and political leaders at the Washington Hilton. As is customary, this year’s breakfast also included an address by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The three-day trip to the United States was kicked off at the United Nations in New York City, where Foreign Minister Schallenberg held a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. There, he also met with fellow Austrian Volker Türk, who serves as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.
Foreign Minister Schallenberg with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on February 4, 2020 at the United Nations in New York City
In addition to an enlarged working meeting with Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, the program also included a bilateral meeting with Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria, President of last year’s 74th UN General Assembly.
Before returning to Austria, the Foreign Minister had an exchange of views on “Europe in the World after Brexit” with students and staff at Princeton University, organized by Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, the founding Director of the university’s Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination.
Arriving by train from New York City, Foreign Minister Schallenberg was welcomed by Ambassador Weiss at Washington’s Union Station on February 5, 2020
All photos (c) Michael Gruber / Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs