MOSCOW — Russia urged Austria's controversial new centre-right coalition government on Friday not to take measures that could destabilise Europe.
A reluctant President Thomas Klestil was due to swear in the new government on Friday despite a storm of international protest over the inclusion in the coalition of Joerg Haider's far-right Freedom Party.
In its first official reaction, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow had noted the response from several countries and considered it appropriate to monitor what policies the new coalition advocated and what actions it took.
"The Russian side hopes Austria will continue to contribute constructively to the development of good, neighbourly relations in Europe on the basis of its adherence to its policy of neutrality and will not take any steps fraught with danger for stability on the continent," the ministry statement said.
"We are closely following developments in Austria and take note of the assessment of a number of states about the possible consequences of the process of forming the new Austrian government," the ministry said, referring to the critical response from Austria's EU partners and other countries.
The other 14 EU states have threatened sanctions. The United States has said it will examine its ties with Austria and Israel has withdrawn its ambassador. Haider is best known for playing down the crimes of the Nazis.
"We believe the course of the future leadership in Vienna will need to be judged according to its policies and concrete actions," the Russian statement said.
It did not elaborate on what Russia might do if Austria veered away from its present course.
The relatively measured response partly reflected Moscow's own diplomatic difficulties. In response to criticism of its military campaign in rebel Chechnya, Russia has consistently told foreign countries not to interfere in its affairs.
Russia, in turn, strongly criticised NATO last year for its bombing campaign against Yugoslavia over its Albanian-majority province, Kosovo. It accused NATO of ignoring the United Nations to attack a sovereign state.
This was a theme taken up in the Russian media.
"The incandescence of European passions reminds one of the recent 'Kosovo syndrome'," said the daily newspaper Vremya-MN.
"No one is talking about bombing Vienna yet but a precedent has already been established for meddling in the internal affairs of Austria, an EU member and democratic state."