Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who was on a short visit to Kiev yesterday, met with her Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sibiha and President Volodymyr Zelensky, Austrian radio and television ORF reported, BTA reports.
“From the first day of the brutal Russian aggression, Austria has stood by Ukraine“, said Meinl-Reisinger, assuring that her country's support will continue.
During their visit to Kiev, Meinl-Reisinger and Sibiha laid a wreath at the memorial wall of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
The minister announced that Austria would purchase grain from Ukraine worth two million euros, which would be donated to poor countries in the Middle East. Sibiha expressed gratitude for Austria's political and economic support and for accepting numerous Ukrainian refugees.
In the afternoon, Meinl-Reisinger met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, with journalists not allowed at the meeting. She later spoke with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal.
The minister also visited the children's hospital in Okhmatdit, which was hit by a missile, killing two people. "This is the definition of a war crime," she said. The hospital's reconstruction should be completed by the summer, and the Austrian Red Cross is supporting the reconstruction with 300,000 euros.
Meinl-Reisinger pointed out that there are significant opportunities for Austrian companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine after the end of the war. The representative of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in Kiev, Georg Weingartner, estimates the need for investments in the amount of 500 to 700 billion euros. Meinl-Reisinger announced that the federal government intends to appoint a special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine. She assured the Ukrainian side that the 5 million euro aid announced in the autumn for demining agricultural land would be paid.
The foreign minister left open for now the question of the participation of Austrian soldiers in a possible peacekeeping force.
Meinl-Reisinger's trip to Kiev was sharply criticized by the Austrian Freedom Party (AFP). “She is behaving like an EU or NATO envoy, not like the foreign minister of an eternally neutral Austria“, said Susanne Fürst, AFP foreign policy spokeswoman, ORF notes.