Wolfgang Anzengruber becomes Ukraine Special Coordinator

The former Verbund CEO Wolfgang Anzengruber is taking on this role on a voluntary basis. It is about networking companies and institutions. Because it is "completely clear" that ultimately taxpayers cannot bear the reconstruction costs estimated at 500 billion euros, she said.

Anzengruber: "Challenging and Complex Task"

More than 200 companies are still directly active in Ukraine, providing jobs and security in Ukraine, the Foreign Minister explained at a press conference in Vienna. "There are many excellent Austrian companies with incredible know-how that is in demand in Ukraine." Anzengruber mentioned the areas of sustainable energy, hydropower, infrastructure as well as the machinery industry, road construction, the residential and service sector, and insurance and financial sectors. The office of the special coordinator is a "challenging and complex task." He "still feels connected to the Austrian economy," Anzengruber explained his motivation. He wants to support Austrian companies in realizing their potential. "One must keep in mind: Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe."

The question of the security of investments naturally arises. There are "issues at the insurance level that we need to solve," said Anzengruber, referring to institutions such as the Kontrollbank, European Investment Bank (EIB), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). And Meinl-Reisinger added that reconstruction is also "a question of security guarantee": The more international companies have the courage to be active there, the more it is also "in the broadest sense a support for securing peace." She also explained that the topics of restoring energy infrastructure, housing construction, and energy efficiency in Ukraine are already relevant, even though the war is still raging. Austria is "a reliable partner" here.

Ukraine Focus of Meinl-Reisinger

Meinl-Reisinger had made Ukraine one of her work priorities. Her second foreign trip in the office of the Foreign Minister took her to Kyiv, where she met, among others, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She also appointed the then ambassador to Ukraine, Arad Benkö, as her chief of staff. Austria has so far supported Ukraine with more than 300 million euros in state financial and humanitarian aid. There is already a national contact point for the reconstruction of the country attacked by Russia in 2022, called the "Point of Contact." Meinl-Reisinger referred to a recently held economic mission to Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry emphasized that Austrian companies will have access to export guarantees totaling 500 million euros for the reconstruction of basic infrastructure through the Austrian Ukraine Facility from May 2024 to 2029. Before the war began, Austria was the sixth-largest foreign investor in Ukraine. 1,000 Austrian companies are active in Ukraine, 200 of them with their own branch - these employ approximately 25,000 workers.

The Upper Austrian Anzengruber has already held several management positions - including at Salzburg AG and the Palfinger Group. From 2009 to 2020, he was the CEO of Verbund AG. He will be stationed as the Ukraine Special Coordinator in the Foreign Ministry.

FPÖ Criticizes

The FPÖ criticized the appointment of the special coordinator. "The most expensive federal government of all time is once again creating a top job for a person from the ÖVP environment, this position brings absolutely nothing to Austrians," said the FPÖ spokeswoman for foreign policy, Susanne Fürst, in a statement. A reconstruction in Ukraine can only occur after a hopefully soon end to the war, with Austria having no responsibility or obligation for it.

(APA/Red)

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