The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Austria on the occasion of the U.S. - Austria Strategic Dialogue.
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The Governments of the United States and Austria held the annual U.S. - Austria Strategic Dialogue in Washington on June 17, 2024. The Strategic Dialogue was hosted by Ambassador James C. O'Brien, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs. Austria was represented by Ambassador Gregor W. Kössler, the Austrian Foreign Ministry's Political Director. The meeting also featured senior representatives from the Austrian Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Department of State.
Topics discussed during the Strategic Dialogue included: global and regional security, including crisis management efforts; foreign information manipulation and malign influence; cybersecurity and ransomware, including the recent Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) regional workshop hosted by Austria; energy security and sanctions enforcement in light of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine; relations with the Middle East; shared challenges related to the PRC; shared concerns regarding racism, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hatred; the protection of human rights in light of new and emerging technologies; disarmament and non-proliferation policies; and shared support for European integration of the Western Balkans, including the joint program "Speak Up!" to engage the next generation of leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The United States and Austria expressed unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Austria and the United States are determined to continue to provide Ukraine and its people all the necessary political, financial, economic, humanitarian and diplomatic support for as long as necessary. They also discussed the situation in the Middle East and reaffirmed their joint commitment to striving for a peace settlement in Gaza while recalling the joint commitment to Israel´s security, the imperative for all remaining hostages held by Hamas to be returned, addressing the dire humanitarian situation, and securing access for humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians.
The Strategic Dialogue focused on shared interests and values and the commitment to increased cooperation on a broad range of issues, such as the State Partnership Program between Austria and Vermont, implementation of the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on apprenticeship cooperation signed in 2022, and cooperation to counter foreign information manipulation. The two sides celebrated the recent launching of enhanced people-to-people exchanges, including the Memorandum of Understanding on Professional Development and Cultural Exchange and the U.S.-Austria Citizen Dialogue on Global Challenges. They noted that economic relations between Austria and the United States continue to be strong, robust, and flourishing.
As part of the U.S. -Austria Strategic Partnership, both sides emphasized the importance of transatlantic cooperation in addressing geopolitical and security issues and stressed the significance and contributions of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to regional security. Austria, also in its capacity as a member of the European Union, and the United States are dedicated to strengthening their transatlantic relationship and reaffirmed their commitment to their shared values of democracy and human rights.
Both sides expressed a strong interest in continuing and deepening the bilateral strategic partnership. The parties plan to hold the next session of the Strategic Dialogue in Vienna in 2025.
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