ISLAMABAD: Austrian Ambassador Andrea Wicke and her spouse Venzislav Wicke-Dermendjiev hosted a lovely garden reception in celebration of the Austrian National Day. Replete with a canopy of fairy lights and pleasant weather, the evening brought together friends of Austria from business, diplomatic and social circles.

Ambassador Wicke welcomed the guests saying, “your esteemed presence here symbolises the enduring friendship and cooperation between our nations and Austria. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for this significant bond. The Austrian National Day falls on 26th October and embodies the values that define our nation. In 1955, Austria regained its sovereignty and declared permanent neutrality.”

She said: “Our partnership with Pakistan is based on respect, trust and 70 years of diplomatic cooperation. This relationship began with Friedrich Hartlmayer as Austria’s first official representative to Pakistan, serving first as minister plenipotentiary and later as ambassador. Our cooperation spans the fields of business, academic exchange and culture.”

Ms Wicke shared the various significant cultural initiatives underway, including the captivating audio-visual photo exhibition titled ‘Once There Was and Once There Wasn’t: Styrian Folktales from the Silk Route’, that was first on display at the Pakistan National Council of Arts and is now up in the corridor gallery at the Austrian ambassador’s residence. In addition, Austria, with the support of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is establishing the ‘Pakistan-Austria Friendship Society’ in Lahore, which will be named ‘Mozart House’, in honour of the world-renowned Austrian composer.

The ambassador elaborated on the Austrian focus on fostering mutual understanding and cooperation through initiatives that benefit local communities and strengthen ties between the two nations. From co-financing solar-powered water pumping and filtering systems in the Multan region of Punjab to a promising upcoming business delegation, Austria-Pakistan avenues of collaboration have been expanding.

Ms Wicke said interfaith harmony was essential for promoting peace, understanding and cooperation in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world allowing individuals to coexist peacefully while honouring their unique beliefs and practices. With this focus, Austria will launch early next year a Dialogue Residency Programme, which will bring together Austrian and Pakistani experts for intensive dialogue and cooperation, learning from each other and promoting mutual understanding.

The Austrian foreign ministry honoured the ‘Doctors on Wheels’ project, an initiative funded by an Austrian NGO that provides critical medical care to marginalised communities of interior Sindh with this year’s prestigious ‘Intercultural Achievement Award’.

To receive the award, the ambassador was joined by Father Robert McCulloch, Chairman, Saint Elisabeth Hospital, Hyderabad; Eric Siraj, Administrator, Saint Elisabeth Hospital, Hyderabad, and Dr Afsar Rathor from Austria.

Dr Afsar Rathor shared some insights about the ‘Doctors on Wheels’ initiative explaining that on this day they reflected not only on the values that shaped the Austrian nation but also on the importance of solidarity with our communities and those beyond our borders.

“The Doctor on Wheels programme is supported by the Austrian NGO, Christians in Need. In 2023 alone, the initiative brought essential medical services to more than 181 villages in Sindh, providing free healthcare to more than 57,000 patients. For many, this care was life-saving,” he said.

Father Robert McCulloch said: “I’d like to thank the Austrian government, its foreign ministry and her excellency for recognising the work Saint Elisabeth Hospital is doing in collaboration with Christians in Need.”

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2024