OREANDA-NEWS. August 31, 2010.  The third meeting of the Turkmen-Austrian joint commission brought together high-ranking officials and specialists of government institutions and businessmen from Turkmenistan and the Republic of Austria in the conference hall of the President Hotel in Ashgabat.

A high-level delegation led by Josef Mayer, Vice Federal Minister of Economy, Family and Youth of the Republic of Austria had arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the business forum.

In their opening remarks the heads of the delegations underscored the dynamic nature of interstate cooperation built on the principles of mutual confidence and benefit and expressed belief that the work of the Committee would promote partnership between Turkmenistan and Austria.

The agenda of the first day of the meeting held in a businesslike, constructive atmosphere focused on the progress in implementing the previous bilateral agreements, the current state and prospects for further development of Turkmen-Austrian cooperation. Stating with satisfaction that the reporting period had seen intensification of bilateral cooperation in a number of key fields, the meeting participants underscored the need to implement the profound potential of cooperation in full and called for diversifying mutually advantageous contacts in the trade and economic fuel and energy, communications and telecommunications, construction, textile sectors.

A focus of the discussion was humanitarian cooperation, particularly in the spheres of education, science, health care and culture. In this context, the sides called for strengthening and expanding cultural contact that stood as an important component of intergovernmental relations.

Tourism was defined as one of the very promising fields of collaboration. Noting that Turkmenistan created the favourable investment climate for foreign partners, the guests said that Austrian business circles intended to expand on the promising Turkmen market and collaborate in joint investment projects.

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During the visit to Ashgabat the delegation of the Republic of Austria was received at the Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, the Turkmenstandartlary Chief State Service and the Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan. The meeting focused on the priority fields of Turkmen-Austrian cooperation in the context of new opportunities of intensifying it further.