Austria-Georgia Relations: Leveraging the Bonds and Differences for Deeper Cooperations

Although separated by Geography, Georgia shares a very interesting relationship with the nation of Austria; a relationship which began in 1992 and is set to be strengthened on many fronts despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most countries have had their ties severed but interestingly, Austria-Georgia relations seems to be pushing for deeper collaborations.

In this interview, Diplomat Magazine gathered revelations from Thomas Muehlmann, the newly appointed Ambassador of Austria to Georgia about the areas and active steps being taken to strengthen Austria-Georgia relations.

What are your first impressions and feelings about Georgia?

Unfortunately, due to Corona it is not the best moment to arrive in Georgia. I would have loved to be able to go out and meet many more people than I could do so far. But we all need to stand together and remain disciplined.

Nevertheless, I can share already some first impressions. I am really happy to be here, Georgia is a fascinating place to be, it has so much to offer: stunning landscapes, beautiful nature, very old culture – and last but not least very friendly people and your fantastic cuisine. My family and I are eager to explore the country in depth as soon as the Corona situation will allow.

Do you have plans to travel around Georgia? Which places are you going to visit?

For sure! I hope I will be able to visit all regions. There is so much to explore, I can’t wait.

How do you assess the relations between Austria and Georgia? Where do you see the room for deepening the ties?

Our relations are excellent. And I really mean this. This is not just a diplomatic phrase. Despite our geographic distance, we have much in common. And we have many bonds – on the political level, on the cultural level, businesses and human

looking at the Corona crisis and the economic impact, reinforcing business ties is definitely an area where we should increase our cooperation further to overcome jointly the challenges of the coming years.

bonds. They are already very strong, but I hope I will be able to help strengthening them even further in the coming years.

Where I see room for deepening ties? Well, looking at the Corona crisis and the economic impact, reinforcing business ties is definitely an area where we should increase our cooperation further to overcome jointly the challenges of the coming years.

We are preparing already a very concrete step in order to explore possible areas of future intensified cooperation: our first “Virtual Trade Mission” to Georgia on 3 December.

Before the pandemic there was a growing interest among Austrian businesses in the Georgian market, what is the current situation in this regard and what are the main concerns of Austrian investors here?

Obviously, the Corona crisis has hit companies hard worldwide, many are struggling for their survival. This is not different in Austria. But there will be a time after Corona – and I am convinced that the interest will be growing again.

And if you ask about the main concerns of Austrian investors, I would probably mention two areas that are of key importance for any strategic investment in any country. I guess I am not telling you big secrets: it is the importance of rule of law and a well-trained labour force.

Austria is interested in assisting Georgia to developing its agriculture, what are the main highlights of this cooperation?

Georgia has been a priority country for the Austrian Development Cooperation since 2011. Since then, the agricultural sector including forestry has been one of the key areas of our cooperation. With more than 80 million Euro to date, we have already been able to support many important projects with our international and local partners.

Based on our experience, we believe that rural development in particular goes hand in hand with sustainable agricultural development. For this reason, we support Georgia in creating local value chains for agricultural goods, increasing the proportion of organic farming or improving forest management.

The agricultural sector including forestry has been one of the key areas of our cooperation. With more than 80 million Euro to date, we have already been able to support many important projects with our international and local partners.

Additionally, our cooperation focuses also on private sector engagement. That’s why we explicitly support business partnerships between Austria and Georgia. In this context, I would like highlight the cooperation between the Austrian seed supplier “Saatbau Linz” and the Georgian company “Noblex” to develop quality seeds for wheat production in Georgia.

Many great results have been achieved so far. However, much remains to be done. Thus, rest assured that Austria will continue its bilateral cooperation. We are currently working on a new country strategy with Georgia for the coming years and are looking forward to many more years of fruitful cooperation!