The Austrian Foreign Minister traveled to Chișinău, where she met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi, and Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Christina Gherasimov. The talks focused on bilateral issues, Moldova’s EU accession process, and the upcoming parliamentary elections in September. Meinl-Reisinger emphasized that close cooperation between Austria and Moldova, based on a shared vision for a peaceful, secure, and stable Europe, is more important than ever in these challenging times.
Economic relations are already close, with around 30 companies operating in Moldova and more than 2,000 jobs created, making Austria one of the ten largest investors in the country. The economic partnership is to be further strengthened through concrete projects, such as the imminent opening of the Austrian International School in Chișinău.
Given its geographical proximity to Ukraine and its economic ties with Russia and Ukraine, the Foreign Minister described Moldova as the neighboring country most affected by Russia’s war of aggression. Austria has responded with additional crisis aid amounting to around 17 million euros. Meinl-Reisinger emphasized the need to continue supporting Moldova as an “anchor of peace and stability” and to strengthen pro-European forces, as this is also essential for Austria’s own security. “There must be no vacuum for foreign forces in our immediate neighborhood,” she clarified. During her trip, she also visited a project supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) to strengthen the role of women and the EU Partnership Mission, which contributes to Moldova’s resilience against hybrid threats.
Solidarity and reconstruction in Odesa
Following her stay in Moldova, Meinl-Reisinger visited Odesa on August 20, accompanied by a delegation of Austrian business representatives. There she met her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha and Governor Oleh Kiper. It was Meinl-Reisinger’s third visit to Ukraine since taking office. She reaffirmed Austria’s unwavering solidarity and assured that support would continue until a “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace” was achieved.
The Foreign Minister emphasized the mutual interest in deeper cooperation, especially in the area of reconstruction. Before the war, Austria was the sixth-largest foreign investor in Ukraine, with more than 1,000 companies operating there. Austrian companies have valuable expertise in building energy infrastructure and in the health sector, which is urgently needed in Ukraine. The minister said that reconstruction was not only an opportunity for the Ukrainian people, but also secured jobs in Austria and opened up new markets. She spoke of an opportunity for transformation, in line with the motto “Build back better.”
During the visit, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha highlighted Austria’s support for the “Food from Ukraine” program, for which Vienna has so far provided 9.6 million euros, as reported by ORF. The foreign minister took the opportunity to offer Vienna as the venue for a major reconstruction conference. Austria’s bilateral aid to Ukraine and its neighboring countries has amounted to over 336 million euros since the start of the war.
Her position also drew criticism, as reported by ORF. FPÖ neutrality spokesperson Susanne Fürst accused Meinl-Reisinger of acting not on behalf of Austria, but as a lobbyist for “warmongering and a highly dangerous EU enlargement.”
Alpbach: Visions for a strong and defensible Europe
Back in Austria, Meinl-Reisinger took part in the European Forum Alpbach in Tyrol to discuss the future of Europe. This year’s theme, “Recharge Europe,” provided the impetus for the opening of the “Europe in the World Days.” Together with high-ranking representatives from politics and business, the Foreign Minister discussed how Europe can gain new momentum to assert its role in a world shaped by power politics.
Inspired by the recent summit between U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as reported by Salzburger Nachrichten, and European leaders, she spoke of a “momentum for diplomatic efforts,” but made it clear that “there can be no peace at any price.” She emphasized that this had also been the message from European statesmen to Trump and referred to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial rights. While the visit to Washington had filled her with pride, she described her concerns following the previous Alaska summit between Trump and Vladimir Putin, which had kept her awake at night.
The forum also included discussions with scholarship holders and a trial run for a dialogue forum on revising Austria’s security strategy.