Ladies and gentlemen, Excellencies, dear colleagues, members of the diplomatic corps,
It is a great pleasure and a privilege to welcome you in the Czernin Palace at the onset of the New Year. The turn of year is a moment for reflection – both collective and individual – on events that have unfolded in the previous twelve months; on what we have gained and on what we may have lost. Traditionally, as you well know, it is also the time to renew resolutions and set goals for the year ahead.