In Remarks at Opening, Secretary-General Hails Refurbished Vienna Café as Great Place to Meet, Visit, ‘or Simply Take a Break’

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as delivered by Susana Malcorra, Chef de Cabinet, at the official opening of the Vienna Café at United Nations Headquarters, in New York today:

Willkommen!  I am delighted to offer my best wishes on the re-opening of the Vienna Café.  I thank His Excellency Sebastian Kurz for travelling here especially for this opening.  I would like to express my appreciation to the Government of Austria, which together with the Capital Master Plan worked to present this completely new café-bar and lounge area in a modern and inviting atmosphere.

One recent review described the newly refurbished café as a “good place to go to when the United Nations becomes too stuffy”!  Of course, some may remember that the old Vienna Café was the last very stuffy haven for smokers at the United Nations.

This new incarnation is already a very sociable place where delegates, staff, journalists and others can come together to chat, negotiate or simply take a break from the business and bustle in the surrounding committee rooms.

No Viennese café can be without cakes and pastries.  The Secretary-General understands completely how tempting Viennese pastries can be.  He often speaks about his time in Vienna — and his love of Apfelstrudel!

In that spirit of good food and good company, let us now raise a toast to Austria and to the wonderfully refurbished Vienna Café!  It will always remind us of that beautiful country, and of the wonderful Viennese café tradition.

Prost! - ein Toast! To the Vienna Café!  Danke!