ABSTRACT
Austria's role as a bridge between East and West has for many years been the favorite metaphor for Austria's foreign policy. Austria's most prominent East-West bridge-building on the government level is the N + N mediation efforts in the conference on security and cooperation in Europe (CSCE) process. In spite of the pride Austria takes in its role in the CSCE process, its contribution to the development of East-West relations probably lies more in societal bridge-building than in diplomatic initiatives. Austria's efforts to promote cooperative relations with Eastern Europe are ultimately based not so much on the doctrine of active neutrality as on the practical interests of a people living on the dividing line between East and West. Throughout the european community debate there was a high degree of consensus among the political elite on the need to maintain and safeguard Austria's status as a permanently neutral country.
