Minister Safeen Dizayee, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government, visited Vienna from 5 to 7 May 2026. The visit focused on political meetings, exchanges with foreign policy experts, and participation in the event “Biji Nemsa – Long Live Austria.”
The minister visited the KRG representative office in Austria and spoke with its representative, Dr. Mustafa Ramazan. Minister Dizayee also visited the Iraqi Embassy and met with the new Iraqi ambassador to Austria, Dr. Hisham Al-Alawi.
During his stay, Minister Dizayee gave an interview to the Austrian daily newspaper Die Presse and met with Ambassador Dr. Martin Eichtinger, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. At the Diplomatic Academy, he also took part in a discussion titled “The Kurdistan Region in a Time of War” with selected students.
During my visit to Austria, I met at @DA_vienna with Director @EichtingerM and students of the Diplomacy and International Relations Department, and made an introduction to the history of the Kurdistan Region and the KRG’s policies and agenda. pic.twitter.com/aomE99BaH0
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) May 6, 2026
Another key item on the programme was a meeting at the Austrian Parliament with members of the Foreign Policy Committee. Participants included MP Andreas Minnich of the Austrian People’s Party, MP Pia Maria Wieninger of the Social Democratic Party, and MP Dr. Nikolaus Scherak of NEOS. The exchange focused on current developments in the Kurdistan Region, regional stability, and relations between the Kurdistan Region and Austria.
I met with members of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Austrian Parliament @NikiScherak, Pia Maria Wieninger and Andreas Minnich at the Austrian Parliament. We discussed the Middle East situation, drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, and reaffirmed continued coordination. pic.twitter.com/bxxw2ehp0R
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) May 6, 2026
At the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs Minister Dizayee met with Ambassador Dr. Hannah Liko, Political Director at the Ministry.
At @MFA_Austria, I met with Hannah Liko, Director-General for Political Affairs at the Ministry. We discussed the situation in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the region and the ongoing drone attacks. We emphasized the stability of the Region and strengthening bilateral relations. pic.twitter.com/PkTDBHfMNv
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) May 6, 2026
The official programme concluded with the event “Biji Nemsa – 50 Years of Kurds in Austria” at Palais Niederösterreich. Minister Dizayee opened the evening with a keynote speech. The guest of honour was Dr. Heinz Fischer, former Federal President of the Republic of Austria. The commemorative event recalled Austria’s admission of Kurdish refugees in 1976 and paid tribute to the historic ties between Austria and the Kurdish community.
The visit underlined the ongoing dialogue between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Austrian representatives from politics, diplomacy, and academia. It also offered an opportunity to discuss current challenges in the region and to further strengthen the long-standing relations between the Kurdistan Region and Austria.
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