“There is some controversy over the issuance of visas by Austria to a number of Russian politicians under sanctions to attend the upcoming meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,” he said.
The minister acknowledged that such decisions provoke criticism from "neighbors and allies."
Vienna, as the headquarters of the UN in Europe and a number of other international organizations, has obligations, according to international law, to allow the entry of delegations of member countries, Schallenberg emphasized.
“At present, we are fighting to protect the international system based on rules, a system in which laws are respected,” RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
At the same time, on February 2, Austria declared four Russian diplomats persona non grata because they had committed "actions incompatible with their diplomatic status."
In addition, the authorities asked two diplomats from among the representatives of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN to leave the territory of the republic.
Austrian Defense Minister Claudia Tanner told Euractiv on February 3 that Vienna is trying to keep diplomatic channels open with Russia amid the Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions.