During a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, the head of the country's Foreign Ministry, Rashid Meredov, reported on the results of the working visit of the delegation of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Austria on March 10-13, writes TDH.

As reported, a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation were discussed within the framework of negotiations held in Vienna with the Federal Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of Austria. During the exchange of views on current aspects of the regional and global agenda, the importance of strengthening constructive partnerships within international organizations was stated.

As a result of the negotiations, a Cooperation Program was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria for 2024–2025.

An interested exchange of views on key issues of interstate interaction also took place during the meetings of the delegation of Turkmenistan with the Secretary General of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and the leadership of the Office of the Federal President of the Republic of Austria.

In addition, during the visit, negotiations and meetings were held with the leaders of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economics and the Federal Economic Chamber of Austria. The prospects for bilateral cooperation in the trade and economic, banking and financial, energy, transport and communication, industrial, construction sectors, through the introduction of “green” technologies, insurance activities, in the field of healthcare, etc. were discussed. It was also noted that there are opportunities to intensify direct contacts between business circles of the two countries, implementation of new joint projects.

In this context, the Austrian side confirmed its interest in building up mutually beneficial, diverse cooperation with Turkmenistan. A Turkmen-Austrian “round table” was also organized in the building of the Federal Economic Chamber of Austria, in which leaders and representatives of a number of relevant government agencies and 25 companies of the friendly state took part.

The topic of interaction in the field of education and student exchanges was on the agenda of the meeting at the Vienna Diplomatic Academy. Issues of establishing cooperation between specialized universities of the two countries, organizing joint scientific and practical forums, events, etc. were considered. The Turkmen side was presented with an official document confirming the membership of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan in the International Forum on Diplomatic Training.

In order to develop inter-university contacts, the delegation of Turkmenistan also visited the Graz University of Technology. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Oguz Khan University of Engineering and Technology and this higher education institution.

During the visit, bilateral meetings were also held with the heads of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), during which current areas of interaction were discussed. A Basic Cooperation Agreement was also signed between the Government of Turkmenistan and UNIDO.

Along with this, meetings of members of the delegation of Turkmenistan with Austrian colleagues took place in Vienna, where issues of bilateral partnership in the fields of healthcare, trade, industry and business structures were discussed.

In order to further develop fruitful interaction, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs submitted for consideration to the head of state proposals regarding the creation of the Turkmen-Austrian Business Council, the opening of the Austrian House in Turkmenistan in 2025, and the holding of the 12th meeting of the Turkmen-Austrian Business Council in Vienna in June of this year. the Austrian working commission, organizing a visit to Turkmenistan by representatives of the Austrian business community in December of this year, preparing a corresponding document defining specific areas of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted with satisfaction the effective nature of interaction between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Austria, emphasizing the importance of continuing to actively develop productive ties in the trade and economic sphere, as well as in healthcare, education, culture, urban planning and other areas. The head of state approved the proposals presented, instructing the Deputy Prime Minister and the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue systematic work in this direction.