11. Bringing European third states closer in line with EU standards.
12. Expansion and intensification of relationships with EU neighbours (eastern dimension,
southern neighbouring states) and further development of special partnerships.
13. Strong advocacy of an active and effective role of the OSCE as an indispensable factor in panEuropean security; as well as intensive utilization of the OSCE for a comprehen-sive
European security dialogue, conventional arms control and confidence and security building.
14. Active involvement in NATO crisis management activities, open to its partners; exploit-ing
opportunities for cooperation and dialogue offered within the corresponding partner-ship
frameworks.
15. Active involvement in and strengthening of the UN as an instrument for managing the global
challenges of the 21st century.
16. Active involvement in international efforts in arms control and disarmament, and press-ing
forward with initiatives which aim to ban further weapons with indiscriminate effects or which
cause excessive suffering.
17. Using the resources of the Austrian development cooperation in order to achieve the objectives of the Strategic Guidelines on Security and Development.
18. Working towards strengthening and advancing the standards of international law, par-ticularly
in the area of international humanitarian law, and supporting the implementa-tion of these
standards.
19. Promoting comprehensive and improved cooperation between all of the international organisations working in the field of security and continuing Austria’s traditional involve-ment
in multilateral institutions.
20. Strong commitment to ensuring coordinated, complementary and coherent cooperation among
international actors.
4.4 Defence policy
Austria’s defence policy shall be based on the following principles:
1.
2.
3.
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The Austrian Armed Forces must align its conception, structure, equipment and training with
the tasks defined in the analysis section, on the basis of the Austrian Federal Consti-tution and
thus also on general conscription. The Austrian Armed Forces’ planning must be specified in
detail accordingly, as part of the sub strategy for defence policy which must build upon these
plans. The Austrian Armed Forces must ensure that they possess the personnel and qualitative
response capacities in order to be able to fulfil their role as a strategic reserve for the Republic
of Austria.
The training and routine management of conscripts must be designed and further de-veloped
in a manner which is consistent with the changes in the general security condi-tions. It must
also take into account the capabilities and the interests of young citizens, for whom it should
have a meaningful and motivating effect. This must occur in a way which allows conscripts to
make a greater contribution to the security of Austria during their period of military service
and to derive personal benefits for their lives from their time in the Austrian Armed Forces.
Conscripts should also be specifically motivated to assume functions in the active reserve.
In their training, particular attention must be paid to military national defence, foreign
commitments, disaster relief, protecting critical infrastructures, border surveillance, sup-port
for maintaining public order and security in Austria, according to Article 79 of the
Constitutional Law of Austria, and cyber security.