The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council discussed the possibility of peace talks in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The parliamentary groups agreed with Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg that a ceasefire would make sense to alleviate human suffering. But while the FPÖ sees EU sanctions against Russia as the main reason for the lack of basis for discussion, NEOS is initially demanding a security guarantee for Ukraine’s continued existence. In the face of Russia’s destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, Schallenberg doubts that peace talks will start soon, but he still wants to keep dialogue with Moscow open. According to Schallenberg, without Russia there would be no functional security architecture in Europe in the long term.
Central topics of discussion with the minister in the committee were also the Iranian regime’s actions against critics, the status of EU expansion in the Western Balkans and Turkey’s geopolitical role, particularly with regard to migratory movements. Basically, the foreign minister stated on migration that Austria was the country with “the highest asylum burden per capita” in the EU. In this context, he argued his opposition to the Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria.
In addition, the Foreign Relations Committee, with the votes of the ÖVP, SPÖ, Greens and NEOS, spoke in favor of deepening the historically close and good bilateral relations between Austria and Brazil. On the one hand, it is about intensifying political, cultural, economic and scientific cooperation. On the other hand, the chancellor must work to improve human and fundamental rights, as well as environmental and climate protection in Brazil.
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