Images | Akorda
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan met on Wednesday with Austria's Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, and Federal Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner,
Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Akorda press service.
Welcoming the high-ranking guests, the Head of State highlighted the importance of the Austrian business delegation accompanying the ministers.
I believe that the joint visit of two key ministers of the Austrian Government is of exceptional importance in giving additional momentum to bilateral cooperation. Austria is a reliable and long-standing strategic partner of Kazakhstan. It has invested more than $3 billion in our economy, and mutual trade is also showing growth. This is a very positive trend.
We are in close contact with your missions at the United Nations and the OSCE, and it is my view that such ties will continue to develop. Austria is, without a doubt, a highly developed country in many respects. That is why we greatly value the achieved level of contacts and are confident that Kazakhstan will continue to play a vital role for you in the region. As of today, Kazakhstan accounts for over 80% of Austria's trade with Central Asian countries," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The Kazakh President welcomed the active cooperation between the relevant ministries and agencies of the two countries. In particular, visa-free agreements for diplomatic passport holders and on readmission came into force on May 1, 2026.
The Head of State also noted the growing cross-border nature of modern challenges and emphasized the need to deepen cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
In turn, Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Gerhard Karner thanked Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for the meeting and conveyed greetings from the President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen.
The Austrian foreign minister said that their visit is taking place at a very timely moment, noting that Kazakhstan is Austria's crucial partner in Central Asia, not only economically but also politically. She added that the two countries cooperate closely on security, migration, and multilateral platforms. Beate Meinl-Reisinger also expressed her pleasure at having hosted the Kazakh Foreign Minister in Vienna for the OSCE ministerial meeting, as Austria highly values Kazakhstan's leadership in that organization.
During the meeting, the parties discussed expanding economic cooperation as well as current aspects of the regional and international agenda.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev conveyed warm wishes to President Alexander Van der Bellen, reaffirming his invitation for the Austrian leader to visit Kazakhstan at a convenient time.
