HE Dr. Emil BRIX
Ambassador of Austria
History and English literature studies at the University of Vienna ; Born16 December 1956, married
1979 Doctorate in History
1982 Masters degree in History and English literature (mag.phil.)
1980 - 1982 Diplomatic Academy
1982 enters Diplomatic Service
1984 - 1987 Managing Director of the Austrian Management Club
1987 - 1989 Seconded to Ministry of Science and Research
1989 - 1990 Cultural attaché at the Austrian Embassy Warsaw
1990 - 1995 Austrian Consul-General in Cracow
1995 - 1999 Director Austrian Cultural Forum in London
since October 1999 Ministry of Foreign Affaires Vienna
May 2000 Director for Cultural Programmes
August 2002 Director-General for Foreign Cultural Policies
2003 Dr. h.c. University Drohobytsch
2005 Dr. h.c. University Cluj/Napoca
since April 2010 Austrian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
His Excellency spoke about Austrian issues and the importance of the UK to Austrian foreign affairs. Austria is a small country of 8m people.
Major trends are 'enlightened scepticism and commitment to dialogue and conciliation'.
Discretion in speech even when Austrian would tend not to agree with strategies in foreign policy: the emphasis and vision was a need to have an active foreign policy with a macroregional strategy between countries sharing common interests.