VIENNA , Austria , Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The President of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), Ronald S. Lauder, has met in the Austrian capital Vienna with Austria's Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. The talks focused on international questions such as the conflict about Iran's nuclear program. Lauder will meet tomorrow with the Austrian head of state, Federal President Heinz Fischer . He will also hold talks with leaders of the Austrian Jewish community.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071023/DCTU007 )
At his meeting with Gusenbauer, Lauder called on the Austrian government to support calls for stricter sanctions against Iran should Tehran continue to ignore the demands of the UN Security Council. "In central Europe , Austria is playing a leading role as a bridge between old and new democracies. We need Austria's support against Iran's nuclear plans, because they constitute not just a threat to the State of Israel but to Europe as well. Under such circumstance, remaining neutral would be very wrong indeed," Lauder, who is president of the World Jewish Congress since June 2007 , declared.
Ronald S. Lauder, who served as United States Ambassador to Austria in 1986/87, went on to say: "The Austria of today is different from the country I encountered 20 years ago. There is once again a vibrant Jewish community in Vienna , which is a reason to rejoice. However, politics and society here need to be vigilant against any form of anti-Semitism or racism." Lauder expressly thanked Chancellor Gusenbauer for providing extra funds to old-age Holocaust survivors.
The World Jewish Congress is the international organization representing Jewish communities in over 80 countries around the world. The WJC serves as the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people to world governments and international organizations.
SOURCE World Jewish Congress
