COLCHESTER, Vt. - Austrian Ambassador to the United States Petra Schneebauer hosted U.S. partners, including U.S. Ambassador to Austria Victoria Kennedy; Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, adjutant general of Vermont; and Vermont Secretary of Commerce Lindsay Kurrle at the SelectUSA Investment Summit at National Harbor, Maryland, May 3.
The summit connects investors, companies and economic development organizations focusing on economic partnership through U.S. investment. The event celebrated the strong trade and investment relations between the Republic of Austria and the United States — one of the top three trading partners with Austria.
“The gathering was a great opportunity to celebrate the current state of our countries’ partnership and share enthusiasm for how it will grow,” Knight said.
“Certainly, the value of the military-to-military aspect of the State Partnership Program has always been something I am immensely proud of,” Knight said. “Expanding that cooperation to civilian engagement has always been part of the larger vision for a whole of society approach to our partnership. There was a lot of excitement in the room for growing our partnership, and I personally can’t wait to continue that work.”
The Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program promotes partnerships between the National Guard units of different states and territories and partner nations to enhance mutual understanding, trust and cooperation. The partnerships span military, government, economic and social spheres. This holistic approach enables a broad-based exchange of knowledge, skills and ideas that benefit all stakeholders.
Vermont officially partnered with the Republic of Austria in 2021. Vermont has two other partners, North Macedonia and Senegal. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Vermont’s partnership with North Macedonia, while it has been paired with Senegal since 2008.