The Austrian capital, Vienna, held a special ceremony on Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of Austria’s acceptance of the first group of Kurdish refugees from Iraq. The event was attended by Iraqi and Austrian political and diplomatic figures, along with members of the Iraqi Kurdish community.
In a statement, the Iraqi Embassy in Austria noted that Ambassador Hisham Al-Alawi attended the anniversary celebration, held under the theme “Biji Austria – Long Live Austria” at the Palais Niederösterreich. The ceremony saw participation from representatives of Iraqi and Austrian political and diplomatic circles, as well as a large gathering of the Iraqi Kurdish diaspora in Austria.
The statement explained that the event commenced with the screening of a short documentary film documenting the arrival of the first group, consisting of 96 Kurdish refugees, at Vienna International Airport on March 31, 1976. This followed the Austrian government’s decision to admit them for humanitarian reasons after the collapse of the Kurdish uprising, which resulted from the signing of the Algiers Agreement between Iran and Iraq in 1975.
According to the statement, the event featured a speech by the former Federal President of the Republic of Austria, Heinz Fischer, who played a pivotal role in facilitating the admission procedures and providing support to the refugees. Additionally, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Safeen Dizayee, delivered a speech expressing gratitude and appreciation to the government and people of the Republic of Austria for their humanitarian stance and the support provided to Kurdish students and families.
The statement further highlighted that Ambassador Hisham Al-Alawi emphasized in his speech that the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil are working together to consolidate stability, achieve sustainable development, and build a better future for all Iraqis.
Read the Arabic version: Click here
