politics
Vienna City Councilor for Finance and Economics Peter Hanke (SPÖ) criticized the expulsion of Russian diplomats. Austria “is currently not living up to the role of mediator with which it has won an international name in the past”.
09.04.2022 09.39
Online since today, 9:39 am
When it comes to measures like the expulsion of diplomats, Austria must “be very careful”, Hanke said in an interview with “Kurier”. “Over the decades, we have developed a bridging function for Eastern Europe, which we must use to create peace. You shouldn’t compromise diplomatic relations too quickly,” Hanke said. Maintaining neutrality is “essential.” In the current conflict, Vienna must “get even more involved as a center for peace.”
“Failure to Show Strength”
The federal political upheavals of recent years are to blame, said Hanke on the ÖVP board: “Politics at the federal level has been characterized by permanent changes in recent years.” Now, in a crisis, “so we can’t show strength,” says Hanke.
Austria acceded to the sanctions of several European countries on Thursday and declared four diplomats as undesirables who must leave Austria by April 12 at the latest. People took actions inconsistent with the Vienna Convention, he said, alluding to secret service activities.
Senior officials expelled
According to research by “Presse”, diplomats are “two high-ranking calibers”. The defense attaché and the first adviser, who is number five in the hierarchy of the Russian embassy in Vienna, must leave Austria, the newspaper reports in its Saturday edition.
In total, Itamaraty is expelling three Russian diplomats who work in the bilateral representation in Vienna, as well as an official from the Consulate General in Salzburg. She attributes Austrian counterintelligence to the Russian military intelligence service GRU and the foreign intelligence service SWR. The first adviser is said to be the head of foreign espionage in Austria.