The Austrian Ambassador shared insights on how Austrians are similar to Kazakhs and highlighted the industries and areas where Austrian companies are ready to share their expertise with Central Asia.
Andrea Bacher, city — Astana, Ambassador of Austria to the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Republic of Tajikistan.
About myself
I am the new Austrian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, also responsible for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
After university, where I studied Slavic philology and culture, I applied to the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. This is the oldest such institution in the world and today, there are people from all over the world studying there, including from Central Asia.
I started my diplomatic career with a posting to Switzerland, which is an important partner for Austria. Afterwards, I spent four years in Moscow, dealing with political issues and press/media relations. Next, I moved on to our Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, where I had a good working relationship with partners from Central Asia, who are very active in the UN. Vienna is one of the UN headquarters. So you could say that multilateralism is part of our DNA. We know that we need partners to solve global challenges.
For the last 4,5 years I was working in Vienna as the political adviser to our Foreign Minister, dealing with the crisis hotspots around the world. It was a very challenging, but extremely rewarding work. Since the beginning of January, I am in Astana as the Ambassador of Austria.
About my work
There are many similarities between our countries. First and foremost, I feel that we share a similar approach to many foreign policy questions. Austria and Kazakhstan are pragmatic, have a balanced approach and are open to partnerships.
We know that we need a rules-based international order where international law and the UN Charter are respected. Austria is a country with an open economy, export-oriented, and that is why international law is our protective shield. We don’t have nuclear weapons, so we depend on other countries respecting the principles of the UN Charter. We share that with Kazakhstan.
We are also both at the forefront of the fight against nuclear weapons, so our cooperation in disarmament questions is very close.
Another organization, where Austria and all Central Asian countries work together, is the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with its seat in Vienna. It is an important platform linking Europe to Central Asia, the Western Balkans and Southern Caucasus. It is the only regional security organization where we still all sit together around the same table. That is why we very much value the Central Asian presence in this organization.
About working in Central Asia
Kazakhstan is our most important trading partner in Central Asia, and crucial when it comes to our energy security. We get around 40% of our oil from Kazakhstan.
I know that Austrian companies are keen to explore ways to participate in the development of the so-called Middle Corridor, because transport infrastructure is becoming more and more important. We have seen in the past few years how quickly pandemics or conflicts can interrupt supply chains, impacting us all. So the diversification of routes, in particular through Central Asia, is in our common interest, and we are interested in participating in this project. In the next few weeks, we will work on preparing our Joint Commission, which will take place in Astana in spring.
Other than that, there are many areas where Austrian companies and their know-how can be beneficial to our Central Asian partners. When I visited Dushanbe last month, I was impressed by the strong footprint of Austrian companies in modernizing hydropower plants like Rogun or Nurek. The same goes for Kyrgyzstan: we have a good partnership when it comes to renewable energy production, in particular hydropower. From the point of geography Austria and Kyrgyzstan are very similar — we are both mountainous countries and rich in water resources. You could even say we are “geographical twins”.
I want to use the next few years to encourage people to travel more to Central Asia. The number of Austrian tourists visiting Central Asia is unfortunately still quite low. This is a shame, because there is such a beautiful landscape, so much cultural and historic diversity for Austrian tourists to discover. But for that we need to make it easier to connect, and the best way to do this would be to establish direct flights.
We have a similar geography, and Austria is a world champion when it comes to sustainable mountain development. The beautiful landscape and unspoiled nature are a huge asset for Central Asia, but it needs to be carefully managed. Many of our ski resorts are known all over the world and Austrian companies can share know-how when it comes to infrastructure development or hospitality. We are ready to share our experience.
About Central Asia
When I was political adviser to the Foreign Minister, we traveled to Central Asia in 2021. We participated in the EU-Central Asia Conference in Bishkek. Flying towards the city and seeing all the mountains and glaciers was an incredible first impression of the region.
I only arrived at the beginning of January, so I haven’t had the opportunity to travel around much, but this is certainly my intention. I want to visit not only the other capitals in Central Asia, but also smaller cities, to get to know and talk with people. I am very impressed by how welcoming everyone is. I am keen to discover more about the culture and history of the place.
One of my favorite books is Peter Frankopan’s The Silk Road. When I first read it during my student days, it really opened my eyes to Central Asia, to its ancient empires and their lasting cultural, economic and political impact. Now, as we are facing rising geopolitical tensions, the spotlight once more shines on Central Asia because of its geographical position, which brings challenges, but also opportunities. So it is an exciting time to live and to work here.