“I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Austria, which I am certain will allow us to further develop the excellent and historical relations between our countries,” said Minister Alfano to his counterpart Karin Kneissl in a telephone conversation this morning.
“The important speech made yesterday by Chancellor Kurz on our common membership of the European Union and Austria’s determination to cooperate with Italy reassures us that the new Austrian government will only take initiatives based on these principles” stated the head of Italian diplomacy.
Minister Alfano reiterated the need to continue to honour the 1946 Gruber-De Gasperi agreement that formed the basis of the autonomous status of Alto Adige, a universally celebrated example of peaceful coexistence and economic development between groups who speak different languages. He announced that “The Italian government is committed to continuing along this path. In the spirit of mutual trust and staunch collaboration that mark relations between two EU member states, Minister Kneissl and I have decided to set up a meeting in the next few weeks”.
