Canada-Austria relations
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- Bilateral relations
- Trade relations
- Academic ties and international mobility
- Partnerships and organizations
Bilateral relations
Canada and Austria enjoy positive bilateral relations, underpinned by significant people-to-people and academic ties, strong economic relations, and a shared commitment to democratic values, human rights and the rule of law. Austria is also an important multilateral partner for Canada. Our two countries work together to support the principles for a rules-based international order, as articulated in the UN Charter and embodied in the multilateral system, to protect peace and security globally. We work together in multilateral forums to promote media freedom, the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and freedom of expression. Austria has a strong diplomatic presence in Canada: an embassy and a Cultural Forum in Ottawa; Honorary Consulate Generals in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver; and Honorary Consulates in Regina and Winnipeg. The Embassy of Canada, as well as Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Organisations based in Austria, are located in Vienna.
Trade and investment relations are strong between the two countries. People-to-people ties are underpinned in particular through academic and youth exchanges. Austria’s membership in the European Union and its close ties within central and southeast Europe make it a valuable interlocutor for Canada.
Trade relations
In 2019, Austria ratified the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This has substantially increased bilateral trade. Canada’s exports to Austria have increased by over 50% since 2022, with an absolute volume in 2023 of $424 million. Imports from Austria in 2023 were $3.0 billion, an increase of over 10% from 2022.
In 2023, Canadian direct investment in Austria was $6.5 billion, nearly a 6% increase from 2022. Austrian foreign direct investment position in Canada was $1.9 billion.
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Academic ties and international mobility
Academic ties between the two countries are close . Austria has Canadian Studies Centres at the universities of Vienna, Innsbruck and Graz. There is also a significant array of exchange programmes between Austrian and Canadian universities. The Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies at the University of Alberta, for instance, was founded as an initiative of Austria’s Ministry of Science and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a leading centre for central European studies in Canada and has one of the most significant collections of Austrian and Habsburg materials in North America. Austrian academics and research institutes actively take advantage of existing Austro-Canadian partnership programs, and selective doctoral and post-doctoral research fellowships.
The International Experience Canada program provides opportunities for Austrian and Canadian youth to obtain temporary work permits in the partner country. Similar exchanges are possible for those 18 to 30 years through the Working Holiday Program, launched in 2018 under the Youth Mobility Arrangement.
Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Austria work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
- European Union (EU)
- La Francophonie
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- Pacific Alliance
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
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