DIRECTORATE FOR DEFENCE POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Austria's defence policy is an integral element of the national comprehensive security provision. It works together with foreign policy and national security policy to guarantee full state sovereignty and integrity within the framework of national military defence. Defence Policy additionally sets out to protect constitutional institutions, critical infrastructure, and the population, including the area of disaster relief. It supports the state's ability to act in crisis situations of strategic proportions, to make solidarity-based contributions to international crisis management and to make a military solidarity contribution to the security policy action within the EU.
The Austrian Armed Forces therefore continuously observe and analyse the situation around Austria and Europe in order to be able to counter the risks with appropriate matters.
For defence policy advice to the Federal Minister of Defence, the Chief of the General Staff and other departments, the General Directorate for Defence has been set up.
Defence policy in national security policy
The goals of national security policy are written in the "Austrian Security Strategy" of 2013. This strategy is based on the following principles:
Comprehensive security comprises external and internal as well as civil and military aspects of security, which are closely interlinked and must therefore be dealt in an integrated manner.
Integrated security must pay attention to a division of tasks between the state and non-state actors involved: security is to be understood as an interlinked package. Proactive security policy means working towards preventing threats from arising in the first place.
Solidarity-based security policy takes into account the fact that the security of neutral Austria and the EU are today largely interconnected.
Due to the war in Ukraine and the general global climate, a new national security strategy is currently being developed.
Austrian security policy encompasses all measures at national, European and international level to actively shape a security-relevant situation that is advantageous for Austria and its population as well as the European Union (EU) as a whole. Within the framework of "comprehensive security provision", it comprises nationwide measures for the active realisation of Austria's ambition.
Defence policy in the context of International Relations
Defence policy is the military component of comprehensive security provision within the framework of national security policy. It is closely linked to foreign policy and domestic security policy.
The Austrian Armed Forces respond to global trends
Due to the volatile geopolitical security situation, cooperation with partners within the EU and beyond will continue to be of great importance in the future. The strategists of the Austrian Ministry of Defence and the Austrian Armed Forces are therefore already looking far beyond the borders of our country and analysing global developments.
Contact
General Directorate for Defence Policy
Rossauer Laende 1
1090 Vienna
e-Mail: dionsihpol@bmlv.gv.at