It was the first official visit to Czechia for the Austrian diplomatic chief. The meeting in Prague was a follow-up to previous meetings in Brussels, Lviv and regional formats. “We have more than just a 450-kilometre border with Austria. We are connected historically, culturally, economically – and  today also in terms of values. Austria is our natural, traditional and logical partner,” said Minister Lipavský. 

The main topics of the meeting were security in Europe, energy self-sufficiency, migration and connecting the two countries through transport infrastructure. Both ministers agreed on the need to maintain a firm stance towards Russia and to continue supporting Ukraine, including its post-war reconstruction. “Austria is a voice that clearly rejects Russian aggression. We appreciate that we are on the same side in this struggle for values,” the Czech minister stressed. In the field of energy, Lipavský praised the expansion of the TAL pipeline, thanks to which Czechia finally cut itself off from Russian oil in March. 

“In transport, our flagship project is the Via Vindobona high-speed railway, which will connect the centre of Europe with modern infrastructure. We are also cooperating on the modernisation of the road and regional rail network,” the Czech diplomatic chief added. Among the specific projects mentioned were the Brno-Vienna high-speed line and the plan to extend the connection from Linz to Salzburg. The ministers also touched on common positions on EU migration policy and the implementation of the Migration Pact.