UK in Austria

12th October 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

The fifth biggest crime in the world

This week the United Kingdom is hosting many world leaders.  They are coming to London to make commitments in the fight against the Illegal Wildlife Trade. The Illegal Wildlife Trade, or IWT, is not only big – the fifth largest transnational organised crime in the world – it also has incalculable costs for endangered species […]

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9th October 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

EU exit and rights of UK nationals in Austria

I recently appeared on the Austrian TV news show “Zeit im Bild 2”.  You can see the video below (in German).  It includes an important message on citizens’ rights. The Prime Minister has always made clear that citizens’ rights are a priority in the Brexit negotiations.  The draft Withdrawal Agreement published in March will secure […]

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2nd October 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

“Lower Austria” is not “low”

“So,” said my senior visitor.  “You are going walking in Lower Austria. I guess that must be pretty flat?” “Er, no,” I said.  “Bits of Lower Austria are flatter than bits of some other Austria provinces; but Lower Austria has plenty of mountains.” My visitor looked at me sceptically. Lower Austria is the largest of […]

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25th September 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

A visit to an Islamic school in Vienna

The questions come thick and fast.  Then the selfies. I take every opportunity I can to visit schools and universities in Austria.  Talking about the UK, Brexit and UK-Austrian relations helps to get across the message that the UK is open for business. Getting in touch with people who perhaps do not often meet diplomats […]

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12th September 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

The perfect honeymoon destination – in Austria

A young couple descend from a train at Völs station and take a post bus up the valley. Their destination is the village of Gries im Sellrain in Tyrol, where they will spend a romantic honeymoon. The couple are my parents, and the year is 1951. After my father died in 2013, my mother moved […]

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7th September 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

When Austrian German is the best?

The quote that “Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language” is often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill.  A version I hear often in Vienna is “nothing unites Austrians and Germans so much as their divided language” (“nichts verbindet  Österreicher und Deutsche so sehr wie ihre geteilte Sprache”. Austrian German is full […]

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24th July 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Why #UKTECHNIGHT is exciting and why you should care about it

How many tech geniuses can you squeeze into a single room? We tried this experiment recently when our Department for International Trade (DIT) team in Austria hosted #UKTECHNIGHT at the British Embassy in Vienna. #UKTECHNIGHT is a unique tech forum focused on key business and investment opportunities in the UK market – and how Austrian […]

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13th July 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Brexit and the rights of UK citizens in Austria Q&A

Update: for the UK Government’s guidance on Living in Austria as a UK national, see Living in Austria. Please sign up for email updates on that page to get the latest information as and when anything changes.  A team from the Department for Exiting the EU visited Vienna recently to talk to UK ex-pats and […]

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6th July 2018 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

#Diplomatsforequality – LGBTI rights are human rights

A vast parade of colourful floats and marchers streams around the Ringstrasse in Vienna.  More than 200,000 people watch and participate. Towards the front of the spectacle, 200 people – including 15 ambassadors – wave flags, dance and sing, marching behind a banner reading #diplomatsforequality. Welcome to #ViennaPride 2018. The three British Vienna diplomatic missions […]

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3rd July 2018 Vienna, Austria

Jeremy Wilmshurst

Second Secretary (Political), British Embassy Vienna

Prince Metternich, the UK, Austria and the Western Balkans

Guest blog by Jeremy Wilmshurst, Second Secretary (Political) There’s a saying in Vienna, ascribed to 19th Century Austrian statesman Prince Metternich, that ‘the Balkans begins on Rennweg’. The latter is the road running south-east out of Vienna in the direction of Belgrade and beyond. Close to the top of Rennweg stands the British Embassy (reached, […]

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