The Middle East and North Africa

Good relations with the countries of the Arab region, and thus also with the North African states, have long been accorded great importance in Austrian foreign policy.Regular contacts at working level as well as official visits at the highest political level bear witness to the good status of Austria's relations with the countries of the southern Mediterranean.The "Barcelona Process“ created in 1995 within the framework of the EU, which involves the EU Member States and the non-European neighbouring states around the Mediterranean (with the exception of Libya) in a partnership of cooperation, has opened up a new field of cooperation between Austria and the countries of the North African region.At multilateral level, further points of contact are arising through Austria's connections with the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.