Following three year of hard relations, an Austrian minister in Israel

An official at the Israeli foreign ministry said yesterday that it is possible that Israel will appoint an ambassador in Vienna shortly so as diplomatic relations between the two countries will return to normal for the first time since three years after a visit to be held by the Austrian foreign minister to Israel this week.

Israel had withdrawn its ambassador from Vienna in February 2000 in protest of the joining of the chairman of the rightist leader of Austrian freedom party Yorg Haider as a main partner in the government's coalition.

The Austrian foreign minister Benita-Maria Ferrero-Waldner who will arrive in Tel Aviv today will be the highest Austrian official visiting Israel since three years.

The Israeli foreign minister Shalom Silvan said he intends to discuss "whether we can open a new page in the relations" with his counterpart, adding that "one thing we want this visit to conclude is that we can return back the ambassador to Vienna." Israeli officials said that Israeli- Austrian relations were not reduced officially because of this matter. Austria kept its ambassador in Tel Aviv, while Israel kept its embassy open in Vienna under the chairmanship of the charge de affairs.