Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker on Monday praised the efforts of Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Stressing the need to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Stocker said that Austria supports Türkiye for its efforts to end the war.
"We appreciate Türkiye and your personal efforts on this matter," Stocker told a joint news conference with Erdoğan in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The chancellor also highlighted Ankara's influence in the Middle East, calling Türkiye "a key country."
"Looking at the Middle East, we see that Türkiye's voice carries weight," he said.
He said "diplomacy and dialogue" were the only way to end the cycle of violence, particularly in the Middle East.
Stocker also stressed the importance of ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains permanently open and freedom of navigation is guaranteed, saying Austria and Türkiye shared the same position on the issue.
Stocker said Austria was working closely with Türkiye and noted that Austrian investment in Türkiye remained significant despite challenging geopolitical conditions.
"Despite the very difficult geopolitical times we are going through, we see that investment in Türkiye remains at a very significant level," he said.
Describing bilateral relations as "rich and shaped by a long and varied history," Stocker said the talks demonstrated the two countries' close cooperation, underpinned by strong economic and social ties.
He noted that Turkish citizens who migrated to Austria from the 1960s onward had made an important contribution to the Austrian economy.
More than 300,000 people of Turkish origin currently live in Austria, he said, contributing significantly to the country's economy, culture and society.
"Good integration and living together based on mutual respect are very important," Stocker said.
On economic cooperation, Stocker said Austrian companies had made substantial investments in Türkiye despite geopolitical challenges.
He said the two countries should further develop their economic potential, particularly through cross-border cooperation in railways.
Stocker also described Türkiye as a key country for both Austria and the EU on security and migration.
He said Austria was cooperating closely with Türkiye on issues including irregular migration, human trafficking and organized crime. He also highlighted Türkiye's role in hosting Syrian refugees for more than a decade.
"We see this as a very important and indeed commendable effort," Stocker said, adding that cooperation with Türkiye on the return of third-country nationals was extremely important.
While significant progress had been made, Stocker said more needed to be done.
"I believe we can prevent a new migration crisis only by working together. The mistakes made by the EU in previous years must not be repeated," he said.
