The Federal Chancellor’s US visit has high-ranking appointments in Washington.

He is a vowed fan of Sebastian Kurz – calls him “the future of Europe” -and is a close friend of Ivanka Trump. And Trevor Traina, US Ambassador to Austria, used both for the Chancellor’s visit to Donald Trump in the coming week as impressive as possible.

For an official state visit – which are traditionally rare in the White House – Austria is definitely too small, but, as Traina emphasized in the interview on media, they have tried to get the “as close as possible”. So when Kurz arrives in Washington DC next Tuesday night, he’s expected to have dinner with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that same evening. On Wednesday he will visit of White House is scheduled.

Trump has given the Federal Chancellor about 20 minutes for a four-eye conversation in the Oval Office. Then there is a meeting with the two government delegations. Perhaps the most surprising part of Kurz’s US visit is dinner on Wednesday. Then Kurz is expected in the Washington Villa by Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. Both are considered the president’s closest political confidants and his main strategic adviser.

The Californian Traina has been friends with the two for a long time. Since the ambassador has become friends privately with the chancellor and the two – according to rumors – meet again and again for dinner, it was obvious for Traina to organize this appointment. In any case, it took a lot of effort and phone calls to bring the visit to Washington in the first place. Finally, the Ambassador smiles, there is “a stiff competition” among the ambassadors: “It’s like driving a car, you have to drive wild and expect someone to drive you in from the side”.