Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) has tested positive for the corona virus. His office announced this to the APA on Wednesday evening. This means that Schallenberg has “unfortunately” to cancel his participation in the Western Balkans summit in Berlin, which was scheduled for Thursday. Whether and by whom the foreign minister could be represented in the German capital was discussed on Wednesday evening.
For example, in the run-up to the planned trip, Schallenberg underwent a rapid COVID test, which yielded a positive result. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was already infected with the corona virus in October 2020. At the time, he was probably infected at an EU Council of Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg.
Should have attended the Western Balkans Summit
In fact, Schallenberg should have attended the Western Balkans summit on Thursday as part of the “Berlin process”. This was launched by Germany in 2014 under the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He had to bring the six Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia closer together and prepare them together for accession to the European Union.
Austria is a strong supporter of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and was pleased when the European Commission recommended candidate country status for Bosnia and Herzegovina in mid-October.
Source: Krone
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