Austria celebrating its National Day on 26 October with special activities

“26 October 1955 is one of the most important dates in recent Austrian history: Austria regained its full sovereignty. We pay tribute to our parents and grandparents for their perseverance, which formed the basis for today´s prosperity,” stated the Austrian Ambassador Thomas Muehlmann. He recalled that Austria had remained an occupied country after World War II. Seizing the opportunity of changing geopolitical winds, the last foreign soldier left Austria on 25 October 1955 and the following day, Austria – with its newly established full sovereignty – declared its permanent neutrality.

Thomas Muehlmann outlined the Austrian strong commitment to effective multilateralism seeking to cooperate with friends and partners. “In this regard, Georgia holds a special place. Our vital partnership with Georgia is built on strong human bonds, flourishing business relations, collaborations between agencies and institutions as well as student exchanges. All the more, Georgia is a priority country of our development cooperation. We cooperate in key areas for the prosperous future of the country and to strengthen its diverse regions. Thus, we support Georgia specifically to develop its sustainable tourism, agriculture and forestry sector in a long-term,” he emphasized.

As physical contacts should be restricted as much as possible these days, the Austrian Embassy plans a number of online activities. As a symbol of standing together in difficult times, a small piece of “Greetings from Austria to Georgia” will be aired online and on a number of electronic billboards in the city centre of Tbilisi in the coming days.

In addition, the Embassy organizes an online quiz about Austrian-Georgian relations (www.austriageorgia.ge). “I invite in particular all students up to the age of 18 to participate. I hope you will have some fun. And be assured that you will learn some surprising facts about our relations”, Thomas Muehlmann concluded.

(R)