Christian Kern

Austrian President Alexander van der Belen handed over a mandate to form a new government to the leader of the conservative Austrian People's Party Sebastian Kurtz, reports TASS. 

The event is held in the Hofburg Palace.

"Based on the election results, I give you the right to form a government as the party leader who won the majority of the votes," the head of state said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a markedly positive response on Friday to an EU summit appeal by Prime Minister Theresa May for help with Brexit, said talks with Britain were moving forward and were unlikely to break down, Reuters writes.

The far right Freedom Party (FPO), set to become kingmaker after elections on Oct. 15, wants Austria to join the Visegrad Group of central and east European states opposed to immigration, Reuters reported. 

VIENNA - Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern says he is not satisfied with the pace of Serbia's EU accession process and that the matter has long been neglected by Brussels.

"Serbia is a part of Europe and a natural partner of the EU," he told Tanjug in an interview.

Tanjug file photo, Z. Mirkovic

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the European Union is committed to bring the Western Balkans region "slowly but surely" to EU membership, reported BGNES.

"Political stability in the region means political stability for us as well. We know this from the past experience, "she said at the European Forum for the Western Balkans in the Italian city of Trieste.

Austrian energy group OMV and Russia's Gazprom are considering reviving a gas pipeline project through the Black Sea connecting Russia to central and southern Europe, an Austrian newspaper said on June 13.

MOSCOW - Indian PM Narendra Modi, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern will attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), scheduled for June 1-3, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Friday, Reuters reports.

Serbia will take part in the forum as a guest of honour country.

Photo: Twitter.com

After Hungary passed laws potentially restricting the functioning of foreign universities in the country, and putting the Central European University at risk of closure, mayors of two cities in western Romania, in Arad and Oradea, have said they would welcome the university moving there instead.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern will write a letter to the European Commission with an explanation as to why Vienna does not want to participate in the programme of the European Union for the distribution of migrants.

Austria has announced that it has no intention of allowing Turkish ministers to conduct a propaganda campaign on its territory for changes to the Turkish constitution.

"We will try to ban these due to security considerations," stated Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern to the biggest Austrian media ORF.