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The Embassy of Belgium in Vienna |
Contact
Address: Schönburgstraße 10, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 502 070
E-mail: embassy@yemenembassy.at
The Ambassador
Caroline Vermeulen
H.E. Ms. Caroline Vermeulen has been part of the diplomatic service of the Kingdom of Belgium for nearly thirty years. She has been posted in Tokyo, Moscow, Taipei, Beijing and the PR to the EU in Brussels. Furthermore, she served as Director at the DG for European Affairs at the MFA in Brussels and served as Secretary of HM Queen Paola.
Since August 2022, Ambassador Vermeulen is posted in Vienna as the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN and International Organizations, and as the Ambassador to the Republic of Austria, the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Slovenia. Belgium has supported the Rays of Hope initiative actively and consistently since the launch of the initiative in 2022. She speaks fluent Dutch, English, French, German and Italian.
History
Austria and Belgium have maintained diplomatic relations for more than a century, with formal relations developing after the creation of both modern states following the First World War. The two countries historically shared connections through the Habsburg Netherlands (16th–18th centuries), when parts of present-day Belgium were under Habsburg rule. Modern diplomatic relations between the Republic of Austria and Belgium were established after the First World War, and both countries have maintained resident diplomatic representation in each other’s capitals for decades. Belgium opened its embassy in Vienna as part of its wider European diplomatic network, with Austria represented in Brussels through its embassy and permanent representation to the EU.
Relations between Austria and Belgium are close and friendly, largely shaped by their shared membership of the European Union since Austria joined in 1995. Both countries cooperate closely within EU institutions, the United Nations, the OSCE, and other multilateral organisations. Vienna and Brussels are particularly important diplomatic centres, hosting major international organisations and EU institutions respectively. Cooperation also extends to trade, investment, science, culture, and climate policy, with Belgian companies active in Austria and Austrian companies operating in Belgium.
The two countries maintain strong cultural links, including cooperation in the arts, academic exchange, and European cultural initiatives. Belgium’s multilingual and federal experience has also been a point of interest for Austrian institutions involved in governance and regional cooperation.
