VIENNA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen believes the European Union will be able to overcome Brexit, he said at the European Forum Alpbach on Saturday.
In his address at the opening of the four-day political symposium at the forum, Van der Bellen said he is convinced the EU "will not fall apart" as a result of the UK departure from the project, and argued that it has in fact strengthened the remaining EU-27 countries.
He warned of the risks involved if a Brexit deal is unable to be struck, and said economically this would amount to a "worst-case scenario" for the UK.
EU countries for their part would be preparing to avoid a similar outcome, he said.
Despite this, the president said he hopes a solution can be found between Britain and Europe, and said the issue is one of many where the EU needs to show resilience in overcoming challenges.