Sebastian Kurz

The Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday handed over on behalf of his country a 300,000 EUR cheque for the programmes unfolded by the Concordia Vocational School in southeastern city of Ploiesti, a release by the Concordia Humanitarian Organisation reads.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila welcomed at the Victoria Governmental Palace on Friday Austria's Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who is currently paying an official visit to Bucharest.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday thanked Romanian President Klaus Iohannis for taking care of democracy and rule of law.

"I want to thank him for, as President, he took care of democracy, of the rule of law," the Austrian Chancellor told the Romanian head of state, at the joint press conference they held at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

President Klaus Iohannis welcomed the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday at the Cotroceni Palace.

The Austrian official's visit to Romania is taking place in a context in which Romania will take over from 1 January 2019 the Presidency of the EU Council from Austria.

President Klaus Iohannis will attend the High-Level Forum Africa-Europe on Monday and Tuesday in Vienna.

On Monday, the head of state will participate in the official dinner offered by Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz, in honor of the delegations heads.

AGERPRES special correspondent Madalina Cerban reports: President Klaus Iohannis talked on Thursday in Brussels with Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz about the visit that the Austrian official will pay to Romania on 21 December, as well as about the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The talks will be attended by the prime ministers of Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, the chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the prime minister of the interim institutions in Pristina.

The Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic is also expected to attend the Vienna meeting.

Austria has a launched a probe into a colonel suspected of spying for Russia for several decades, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Friday, the latest in a string of cases where Moscow has been accused of espionage in EU states, reports AFP. 

The Austrian chancellor spoke in Belgrade on Monday with Serbia's president and prime minister, and today he told the Austrian APA agency that his country supports Kosovo's efforts to be admitted to Interpol (which Serbia strongly opposes).

Kurz claims that his coalition partner, the Freedom Party, has changed its stance on the issue.

They discussed "bilateral and economic cooperation between the two countries, the European integration of integration of Serbia and the current situation in the region."