January 18, 2021
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The outgoing US ambassador to Austria, Trevor Traina, does not believe in a setback in bilateral relations under the new President Joe Biden. The “new closeness that arose under Donald Trump will not end, but will continue”, emphasized Traina in an APA interview. “I think there is a new awareness in Washington of the strategic advantages that Austria has,” said the Californian, whose term of office ends on Wednesday with that of Trump.
The Austrian government had “succeeded extremely well in impressing Washington,” said Traina without giving any details. In fact, under Turkish leadership, Austria has taken a more transatlantic orientation and has also received Trump’s controversial Middle East initiative more favorably than most other European countries. When asked about his good relationship with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), Traina emphasized that she was “a friend of everyone” in Austria.
Because he loves Austria so much, he was “very sad” that he had to leave on Wednesday, said Traina. He is proud of his balance sheet. In his first year alone, he made twelve contacts at the highest level. He was the only US ambassador who was able to deliver two invitations to the Oval Office to an Austrian chancellor, and Mike Pompeo was only the second US Secretary of State to officially visit Austria since World War II. “My most important legacy here is a new closeness, a bond,” said Traina. “The positive effects of this new closeness will be felt for a long time to come.”
Traina assured that he would continue to “get involved in the cause of Austria” because this was his “personal passion”. In this context, he stated that the new US Vice President Kamala Harris was “one of my oldest friends.” He would also be prepared to remain ambassador under the new democratic government, but he has “no illusions” in this regard, because the post is very popular in Vienna. He also didn’t seem averse to an ambassador comeback after the 2024 presidential elections.
When asked, Traina praised the Austrian government’s corona management as “really impressive”. He had been in Austria with his family throughout and felt very safe. The current highs can be traced back to the winter, according to Traina, who however sees “light at the end of the tunnel” because of the vaccinations. “Very soon we will all be able to waltz again,” he said.
The interview in full:
APA: You are leaving Vienna on Wednesday with the inauguration of President Biden. How do you feel when you say goodbye, in view of the great affection you feel for Austria?
Traina: I regret it very much and I am very sad that I am leaving Austria. I’ve worked harder in my job because I not only love my country America, but Austria too. Austria was the first country I visited in my life when my grandfather was ambassador here too, and I am shaped by this legacy.
APA: What are your plans for the future?
Traina: I don’t know (in German). It’s open. We’ll see.
APA: What will you make space for in your suitcase for the journey home so that you can take it with you from Austria?
Traina: Everything I saw, learned and done during my time in Austria never fits in a suitcase, but I will take the catalog with me for my exhibition on American photography in the Albertina in June. And that’s not just a souvenir, it’s also a reason that I come back.
APA: You already knew Austria very well when you came here and now you know it even better. Are there still things that surprise you?
Traina: When Austrians tell me: “Oh, we are such a small country”, I always say, no, you are not a small country, you are an important country. I think Austria has a bright future, and I am not the ambassador in Vienna, but the one in Austria. I have traveled from Bregenz to Burgenland again and again and have met all kinds of people, from schoolchildren to the most important leaders. Every time I travel through Austria, I discover something new, great. It really is an incredible country.
APA: We don’t know who will be your successor. But what advice would you give him?
Traina: I sometimes joke that half of my job is explaining to Washington why Austria is so important and the other half is explaining to Austrians why they are so important. Austria plays such a crucial role in the heart of Europe as a stable and western democracy, and I hope that America will work even more on our common bilateral goals in the future, especially in south-eastern Europe, where we want exactly the same thing, namely to stabilize these democracies.
APA: You have achieved quite a lot in your short tenure. Is there anything else you would like to have achieved? If yes, what?
Traina: My most important legacy here is a new closeness, a kind of connection (in German). It’s really like that. The governments of Austria and the USA have never been so involved. In a normal year, maybe a minister was invited to Washington; in my first year we had twelve high-level meetings. Never before has an American ambassador brought an Austrian chancellor two invitations to the Oval Office. There was only the second official visit by a foreign minister since World War II. I am proud of the connections at the government level, but also economically Austria was among the ten fastest growing trading partners of the USA, and the USA is the largest buyer of Austrian goods after Germany. At the military level, there were two bilateral exercises, then there is the new partnership program and the Cultural Icon Award, which America gives to cultural leaders, students and entrepreneurs. This is my legacy. And if I had more time, I would want to work even more on this new closeness. But I’m actually quite happy with what we were able to achieve.
APA: That sounds like you haven’t really finished yet. Would you like to come back as an ambassador after the next election?
Traina: I love being in Austria. My family loves being here and we would love to see every opportunity to return. It’s a perfect place to live, I love the culture, the food and the people. I have to ski and drink wine for my job, so no one should feel sorry for me.
APA: You mentioned that Chancellor Kurz had a good relationship with President Trump and that he was invited to the White House twice. Can this relationship continue to be of use under the new administration or is there more of a risk that it will harm him because he is seen by the new administration as someone who belongs to “Trump’s camp”?
Traina: This new closeness will not end, it will continue. The US and Austria have worked together on different levels and I think there is a new awareness in Washington of the strategic advantages that Austria has. I will continue to stand up for the cause of Austria in my work. The new Vice President, Kamala Harris, is one of my oldest friends, and for me it is a family affair and a personal passion. I think the current administration has done an exceptionally good job of impressing Washington. At the meeting of Foreign Minister Schallenberg, the Foreign Minister only listened most of the time; the two talked about everything, from Libya to Turkey and the Balkans. The positive effects of this new closeness will be felt for a long time to come.
APA: You said the new Vice President is one of your oldest friends and she’s from the same state. Is there any way the new administration will propose you for a term or is that impossible given the way ambassadorial posts are made in the US?
Traina: I would be happy to offer my services to the new administration and stay in Austria. Fortunately or unfortunately, my position as ambassador is one of the most sought-after and I am sure that there are many people around the future president who would like to have my job. So I’m under no illusions that I can get it.
APA: Maybe you could also tell us something about the Austrian corona balance sheet. In the spring, Chancellor Kurz was proud that Austria got through the crisis well. Now there is criticism of the government’s performance, which is reminiscent of that in the US. What is your rating?
Traina: Austria’s handling of this pandemic was really impressive. I was here with my family the whole time and we felt very safe. People took the rules seriously. It is not the government’s fault that it is peaking again in winter, we have seen that in many countries, including those that have taken very good precautions. This is simply the course of a global pandemic. It is understandable that people are frustrated, but I believe that we see the light at the end of the tunnel and that the billions of dollars that the US has invested in the new vaccines will be a gift for each of us . Four million people have already been vaccinated in the USA, vaccinations are starting here too and very soon we will all be able to waltz again.
APA: We know that you are very impressed by Chancellor Kurz. But he is also criticized for spending a lot of tax money on media work, PR and social media. Do you think that is good because it is modern and professional, or do you understand the critics who see it as an abuse of state funds to paint a distorted image of government work?
Traina: It is not my place to comment on internal affairs in Austria. As you know, I am friends with everyone and proud of the relationships I have forged. The Austrian government is viewed very positively internationally and is very modern. We are in the digital century and the countries that do well in the digital space are going to thrive. That is why the US embassy has started an exchange program for Austrians with Silicon Valley. I accompanied your Chancellor to Silicon Valley to introduce him to many of the leaders there. We have to embrace the digital future if we want to be modern.
(Interview conducted by Edgar Schütz and Stefan Vospernik / APA)
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