Austria–Colombia relations

Austrian-Colombian relations

Austria	Colombia

Austria – Colombia relations are foreign relations between Austria and Colombia. Diplomatic relations were established in 1920, but Austrian honorary consulates already existed in Bogotá and Barranquilla since about 1870.^[1] Austria operated an embassy in Bogotá till August 2012, since then affairs are handled by the Swiss embassy. However five honorary consulates remain in operation in Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, Medellín and San Andrés. Colombia has an embassy in Vienna.

In February–March 1980, Austrian Ambassador Edgar Selzer was held hostage in the Dominican embassy siege in Bogotá.^[2]

Bilateral agreements

The two countries have one agreements in force from over 25 years ago and one understanding of protocol:

• Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the Republic of Colombia on the abolition of visa fees, signed in Bogotá, Colombia on October 22, 1974.
• Understanding the Protocol on political consultations at a high level between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria and the Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Republic of Colombia, signed in Vienna, Austria on March 5, 1999.^[3]

Economic links

The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber has a marketing office in Bogotá, subordinate to the Austrian Trade Commission in Caracas, Venezuela.^[4] In 2003, bilateral trade between Austria and Colombia totaled US$24.44 million.^[5]

Cultural ties

The famous botanist and physician Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727–1817) conducted research trips to the region between 1755 and 1759, which took him to the Atlantic coast of Colombia. Karl Brunner (1887–1960) is considered the founding father of modern urban planning in Bogotá, where he served in the 1930s. Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff (1912–1994) was one of the founding fathers of cultural anthropology and ethnology in Colombia. The architect Fritz Blodek (1905–2001) designed more than 150 buildings for housing and industrial use, especially in Medellín. The bookseller and journalist Hans Ungar (1916–2004) created a Central Library with the axis of the intellectual and cultural life of Bogotá.^[6]

See also

• Foreign relations of Austria
• Foreign relations of Colombia

References

1. "Bilaterale Beziehungen" (in German). Austrian Embassy in Bogotá. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
2. "Diplomacy's Dark Hours". TIME. 1980-03-17. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
3. Bilateral treaties between Austria and Colombia
4. "MARKETING OFFICE in Bogotá". WKO ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
5. "PARA HACER NEGOCIOS CON AUSTRIA" (in Spanish). Embajada de Colombia en Austria. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
6. Cultural ties between Austria and Colombia

External links

• Austria Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties (in German only)
• Austrian embassy in Bogota (in German and Spanish only)
• Colombian embassy in Vienna
• Austrian-Colombian Society (in German and Spanish only)