Three countries have boycotted a keynote speech by the Austrian president of the European security organisation, the OSCE.

France, Belgium and Andorra stayed away from the event, being hosted by the Austrian foreign minister, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

They were protesting against the inclusion of the far-right Freedom Party in the coalition government.

Austria's fourteen European Union partners are taking bilateral steps to isolate Austria, and a BBC correspondent says similar boycotting could recur.

Mrs Ferrero-Wadner denied there'd been a boycott and that the reputation of the OSCE had been marred.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service