Gerhard Sailler

Ambassador Gerhard Sailler, born in 1969, is an Austrian career diplomat. He is currently Deputy Director General - Political Affairs in the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Director of the Department for the Russian Federation; Eastern Europe and South Caucasus, Eastern Partnership, Turkey and Central Asia, Arctic.

2016-2020 Gerhard Sailler was the Austrian Ambassador to Kazakhstan and (non-resident) to Kyrgysztan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Gerhard Sailler studied history at the University of Graz (Austria), the University of Rouen (France) and the University of Minho (Portugal). Before starting his diplomatic career at the Austrian Foreign Ministry in 1996, he completed a one year post-graduate diploma in international relations at the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS Europe - Bologna Center). In 2008, he earned a PhD in history at the University of Vienna.

His postings abroad included Tel Aviv, Lisbon, Brussels, Moscow and Nur-Sultan. During the Austrian EU-Presidency 2006 he chaired the Council Working Group for Latin America and the Caribbean. In Moscow he was Deputy Head of Mission covering the Russian Federation and Belarus. 2013-2016 Gerhard Sailler was Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. Gerhard Sailler lectures regularly „International Conflictology“ at the Institute of Diplomacy of the Kazakh Academy of Public Administration and has held lectures at numerous universities. He is the author of several scientific articles. 

Gerhard Sailler speaks German (mother tongue) and is fluent in English, French, Russian and Portuguese. He has A2-level in Kazakh, Spanish and Italian.