VIENNA: The formation of a new government coalition in Austria has given rise to international criticism. As Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria I take those concerns very seriously. However, in studying international media reports, I cannot but notice that Austria has repeatedly been described in a rather undifferentiated and unbalanced way; a way that stands in sharp contradiction to the realities in our country.

Over the last fifty years, Austria has always been a responsible and reliable partner in Europe and the entire international community. It will continue to live up to her traditional values and responsibilities, based on democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, openness, tolerance, humanitarian solidarity, a sense of duty and reliability.

These principles are reiterated in the Preamble to the Government Program. It was signed, on 3 February 2000, in the presence of Federal President Thomas Klestil, by myself and the chairman of the Austrian Freedom Party, Jörg Haider - who remains Governor of Carinthia and did not join the Federal Government. This document is binding on both of us as signatories, on our respective political parties, and on their democratically elected representatives. It will guide the future work of the Coalition Government.

Austria is strongly committed to the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law that are common to all EU member states. Significantly, two thirds of the Austrian electorate cast their votes in favor of membership in the European Union in 1994. This support was considerably higher than in any of the other fourteen member states when they were joining the European Union. In Austria's view, the Transatlantic Partnership, which has always been characterized by mutual respect and trust, will also have a special significance in ensuring future peace, stability, and prosperity.

Austria takes pride in its international solidarity with the victims of political repression, war, and expulsion. We opened our doors in 1956 and 1968 during the crises in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, and again in the 1990s when more than 100 000 refugees from the Balkans found a new home in our country. As a proportion of Austria=s population of about 8 million, the number of Balkan refugees alone would be equivalent to over 1 million refugees in Germany and over 3 million in the United States. Thus, over the last decades, Austria - more than most other countries - has demonstrated her profound social and humanitarian responsibility.

Austria's past calls for an intensely critical and sensitive approach to injustice, murder, and terror under the Nazi regime. We have taken important steps to deal with this past, and the new Federal Government will continue on this path without hesitation. Based on the findings of the interim report of the Austrian Historians' Commission, we will seek prompt compensation for former forced laborers, and we expect the companies concerned also to recognize their responsibilities. To expedite matters, I have appointed a special representative for the question of forced and slave labor under the Nazi regime. Mrs. Maria Schaumayer, the former head of the Austrian central bank, will head a new office to handle the issue of compensating the victims.

Among my government=s other commitments, compensation of aging victims of the Holocaust, who live in difficult financial circumstances, will be among our highest priorities in the next few months. The Austrian Government will also support open access to archives in federal agencies and advocate a similar policy for non-governmental entities. We will encourage Austrian insurance companies to participate in the work of the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims. We will seek to improve the practical application of the Art Restitution Law of 1998 and encourage similar restitution steps among local and regional governmental bodies.

My Government is deeply committed to the protection of human rights and to combating racism and discrimination. We have a highly developed national human rights legislation and practice, as well as a strong and independent judiciary. Austria is party to practically all major international human rights treaties and has traditionally played an active part in their drafting. We have not only ratified the European Human Rights Convention, we also made it a part of our own Constitution. This means that anyone residing in Austria can file a complaint to the European Court for Human Rights, whose judgements are binding on the government. Austria is also constitutionally bound by the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

As Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria I will do my utmost do ensure the strict implementation of the Preamble and the Government Program (which can be found on the website of the Austrian Federal Government http://www.austria.gv.at.) I myself and the other members of the Austrian Federal Government expect to be judged according to our performance rather than on the basis of prejudice.