A special recognition of five decades of commitment to Austrian–Vietnamese friendship and cooperation.
A Special Recognition of Austrian–Vietnamese Friendship
On 20 July 2026, the Friendship Order of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was awarded to Dr. Peter Jankowitsch and the Austrian Vietnamese Association (AVA) in recognition of their outstanding contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between Austria and Vietnam.
The awards were presented in Vienna by H.E. Dr. Vu Le Thai Hoang, Ambassador of Vietnam to Austria, on behalf of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
For the Austrian Vietnamese Association, the distinction represents a particularly meaningful recognition in the year of its 50th anniversary. Since its foundation in 1975, the Association has worked to build bridges between Austria and Vietnam – from its early engagement in solidarity and humanitarian assistance to its present role as a bilateral platform for cooperation in business, science and culture.
The award to Dr. Peter Jankowitsch, former Austrian Foreign Minister and long-standing President of the Association, honours his decades of commitment to Austrian–Vietnamese relations. Today, as Honorary President of the AVA, he continues to represent the continuity and depth of this relationship.
The ceremony also highlighted the close cooperation between the Austrian Vietnamese Association, the Embassy of Vietnam in Austria and its Vietnamese partner organisations.
The Friendship Order is both an honour and an encouragement to continue building strong, forward-looking relations between Austria and Vietnam.