MINISTER FOR  FOREIGN AFFAIRS  AND TRADE

t- s w Â·

NEWS RELEASE

M1 08 24 August 1987

DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT - AUSTRIA

The M i n i s t e r  f o r  Foreign A f f a i r s  and Trade, Mr B i l l  Hayden ÃÂP,

today announced the appointment of Mr Michael Wilson as

A u s t r a l i a ' s  Ambassador to A u s t r i a .  Mr Wilson w i l l  succeed Mr

John Kelso who has been Ambassador since 1984. He w i l l  re sid e

in Vi e n n a .

Mr Hayden said t h a t  A u s t r a l i a  and A u s t r i a  shared a c o o p e r a t i v e

and f r i e n d l y  r e l a t i o n s h i p .  Increased bi l a t e r a l  tr a d e  and

c u l t u r a l  exchanges have s t ren gth ene d those t i e s .  Mr Hayden

noted the close c o n s u l t a t i o n  on refugee and h u m a n it a r i a n  issues

in recent years.

Mr Hayden r e f e r r e d  to Vi enn a's  importance as a venue f o r

m u l t i l a t e r a l  diplomacy and i n t e r n a t i o n a l  c o nf er en c e s .  Mr

Wilson would be A u s t r a l i a ' s  Governor on the Board of Governors

of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l  Atomic Energy Agency and Permanent

R e p r e s e n t a t i v e  to the United Nations I n d u s t r i a l  Development

O r g a n i s a t i o n .

Since November 1986, Vi enn a's  has been the venue f o r  the

Resumed Conference on S e c u r i t y  and Cooperation in Europe, and  is the c e n t r e  f o r  East-West n e g o t i a t i o n s  on Mutual and Balanced

Force Reductions in Europe. E s p e c i a l l y  because of i t s  n e u t r a l

s t a t u s ,  A u s t r i a ' s  views on East-West r e l a t i o n s  and disarmament

are of p a r t i c u l a r  i n t e r e s t  to A u s t r a l i a .

Mr Wilson j o i n e d  the then Department of E x t e r n a l  A f f a i r s  in

1953 and has served in New York, Bangkok and London. He served

as Ambassador to Yugoslavia from 1980 to 1984, and is c u r r e n t l y

High Commissioner in Papua New Guinea.

COMMONW EALTH  PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY  C. I. s.

