Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Austria for a two-day visit to discuss bilateral issues and global developments, including the war between Russia and Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East, Turkish diplomatic sources have said.
According to the sources, Fidan will meet Austria’s Europe and International Affairs Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger during his visit on April 29 and 30.
He is also expected to be received by Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, hold a meeting with OSCE Secretary-General Feridun Sinirlioğlu, deliver a speech at the Vienna Diplomatic Academy and meet with the representatives of the Turkish business community.
On the bilateral front, Fidan will highlight the need for deepening existing cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade, military, social and cultural bonds through a more holistic approach, the sources said.
The minister will underline the potential in growing trade and economic relations by diversifying the cooperation, particularly in energy, digitalization, connectivity and the defense industry.
The visit will also pave the way for discussions on the Turkish-EU ties as Fidan will reiterate that Türkiye maintains its full membership perspective as stated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan several times.
Fidan will stress the need for the prevalence of a strategic vision when it comes to advancing Ankara-Brussels relations, as this will serve the interests of both sides, while urging that the EU should adopt a more inclusive and institutional stance to this end.
The minister will once again repeat that Türkiye stands ready to contribute to the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the war through diplomacy. In the Middle East, he will underline that Türkiye continues to contribute to the peace efforts between the United States and Iran while underlining that the Strait of Hormuz should be safe and open as was the case before the war.
Fidan will also draw attention to the fact that Israeli actions to sabotage the ceasefire and peace plan regarding Gaza continue. He will also stress that Israeli efforts to increase the settlements in the West Bank threaten the efforts to stabilize the region.
