Secretary of defense Viola Amherd is taken in on Friday on her first trip Abroad as a Federal councillor in Vienna with her Austrian counterpart and of its German counterpart. The topic of the air policing agreement with Austria was, among other things.
The two Ministers, and the Minister stressed in Vienna, the “very good” trilateral cooperation between their countries. This applies to the Western Balkans, the EU training mission in Mali (EUTM), the cross-border airspace safety or security, or the ABC-defence.
Amherd reminded of the already traditional cooperation between Austria and Switzerland in securing the airspace for the annual world economic forum (WEF) in Davos, which starts next week.
air police agreement 1. February
The Austrian defence Minister Mario Kunasek reminded, in this context, the bilateral air police agreement with Switzerland, the on 1. February enters into force. With this agreement, against non-military threats to the air forces of both States can measures already on the territory of the other state to initiate and aircraft across the border into the other air space to accompany, to the other air force can take over.
Austria strut with Germany, a similar air security agreements with Switzerland, said Kunasek on Friday.
a plea for “army of the Europeans”
The German defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen pleaded in turn for an “army of Europeans,” and a close defence cooperation in Europe. “If we want to act, we must act!”, she said in a speech on the occasion of the security-political start to the Year, the Austrian Ministry of defence, held before the Meeting in the ROOF Format (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
Viola Amherd was at the presentation of the security policy preview for the Year 2019 of the Federal Ministry of defence in attendance. She praised this as a tool to make the correct course adjustments for the future.
The security policy is Europe-wide, now “back” in the policy: This is a “bad news”, because they are based on the existing problems of safety instructions, but also a “good message”, because the security policy now get the attention of your fees. What relates to the defence budget, she noted in addition: “security has its price.” (nag/sda)
Created: 18.01.2019, 17:31 PM
