Secretary General Alain Berset of the 46-member Council of Europe met Austrian leaders and heads of international organisations in Vienna on 11 June, highlighting the importance of international cooperation, democratic resilience and shared European values at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty.
The visit included meetings with Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, and Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Multilateral organisations must cooperate
Addressing the permanent council of the OSCE - the organisation's main political decision-making body, which brings together ambassadors from its 57 participating states in Vienna - Alain Berset stressed the need for closer cooperation among Europe's multilateral institutions.
"The threats that Europe faces do not fit neatly into institutional boxes," he said. "Europe's democratic security architecture cannot be strengthened if institutions remain in silos."
Discussions with the OSCE Secretary General and the ambassadors of OSCE participating states focused on strengthening cooperation between the Council of Europe and the OSCE, building on their complementary roles in promoting human rights, democracy, the rule of law and comprehensive security across the continent.
Praise for Austria's commitment to European cooperation
Meeting Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, the Secretary General praised Austria's longstanding commitment to European cooperation and the Council of Europe's values.
"In an increasingly fragmented world, Europe's strength lies in its ability to defend common rules," he said. "It also depends on countries that continue to invest in cooperation, even when fragmentation may seem the easier path."
Marking the 70th anniversary of Austria's accession to the Council of Europe, the Secretary General highlighted the country's consistent implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and its support for the Council of Europe's work. He also welcomed Austria's recent election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations security council for the 2027-28 term, describing it as a sign of the international community's confidence in Austria's longstanding commitment to multilateral cooperation and the rules-based international order.
"For 70 years, Austria has been a committed and constructive member of the Council of Europe, demonstrating a strong commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law," he said.
Challenges facing Europe on agenda with Chancellor
Talks with Chancellor Christian Stocker focused on democratic resilience, migration and Europe's capacity to respond collectively to common challenges.
"There is a growing temptation, in Europe and beyond, to see division as inevitable and compromise as weakness," Alain Berset said following the meeting. "Yet the European consensus reached in Chișinău on migration showed the opposite. We chose to move forward together."
The Secretary General and Chancellor discussed how to build on the momentum generated by the political declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights and migration adopted by Council of Europe member states in May, as well as broader efforts to strengthen democratic security across Europe.
Support for Ukraine at forefront of talks
Discussions throughout the day also addressed Russia's war against Ukraine, disinformation, international security and the defence of fundamental rights. The meetings underlined the importance of effective multilateral cooperation in responding to evolving security risks and safeguarding the democratic foundations on which lasting peace and stability depend.
During the visit, Alain Berset also presented key Council of Europe initiatives aimed at reinforcing democratic security across the continent, including the New Democratic Pact for Europe and follow-up action to the Chișinău Declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights and migration.
Secretary General Alain Berset
Austria and the Council of Europe
