DZIAŁALNOŚĆ DYPLOMATYCZNA AUSTRII WOBEC PAŃSTW AMERYKI ŁACIŃSKIEJ I KARAIBÓW W LATACH 2006-2019

Austria is one of the richest countries in the world with significant economic and technological potential and politically conscious citizens. Its ambitions of co-shaping international policy are built upon on a close alliance with other European countries, which is guaranteed by its membership in the European Union. At the same time, it declares permanent neutrality and highlights the importance of Vienna as the seat of numerous international organizations. This paper seeks to answer the question of how such a position in the international arena influences Austria’s diplomatic activity towards Latin American and the Caribbean (ALK) countries. Several hypotheses are assessed: Austria implements its foreign policy towards Latin American countries which focuses on effective multilateralism and uses multi-level governance in this area; Austria’s neutrality and its implications are appreciated and desired by ALK countries and result in concrete initiatives in international diplomacy; Austria, as an attentive observer of the international environment, capitalizes on the latest trends in international activities going beyond the traditional practices of international diplomacy. The study uses the historical analysis method. Qualitative content analysis was applied to such sources as declarations, communiqués, reports, press materials and materials from parliamentary debates, and expert opinions.