Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger in New York: For peace, we need more cooperation, not less
Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger in New York
Photo: BMEIA/Gruber
Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger traveled to New York from March 25 to 27, 2026, where she met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, among others. The trip focused on the current military escalation in the Middle East and Austria’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2027–2028 term.
Against the backdrop of the tense situation in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, among others. She discussed possibilities for de-escalation with partners from the region. Austria also supports a resolution introduced by Bahrain condemning the Iranian attacks.
“De-escalation is now the order of the day. This war must end, and the solution can only be a diplomatic one. Now more than ever, we need to return to an international, rules-based world order. Austria is committed to ensuring that the UN and the Security Council live up to their responsibility for peace and security,” said Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger.
Another focus was on strengthening international partnerships in the area of peacekeeping operations and cooperation with African states. In this context, Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger participated in a roundtable on security policy cooperation together with representatives from Zimbabwe.
In preparation for the election of UN Security Council members on June 3, 2026, Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger used the visit to promote Austria’s candidacy for the UN Security Council. Ten weeks before the election, she met with Ambassadors from more than 70 UN member states.
“For peace, we need more cooperation, not less. Only cooperation and an international legal framework can create sustainable security—whether in our neighborhood, at the European level, or internationally. Austria is a supportive and reliable partner in the world. As a member of the UN Security Council, we want to fulfill this responsibility even more strongly,” emphasized Meinl-Reisinger.