On 11 March 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry’s press release notes: “The situation in Afghanistan, especially with regard to the fight against terrorism, organized crime and illegal migration, was the focus of today’s discussion. Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have a border that is over 800 km long, and around three million Turkmen live in Afghanistan. For this reason alone, there are regular contacts between Turkmenistan and the de facto Taliban government in the areas of security and humanitarian affairs. But tangible economic interests also make dialogue necessary, such as the TAPI gas pipeline, which is supposed to connect Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan.”
“Our clear goal is to deepen cooperation between Austria and the EU with our partners in Central Asia, such as Turkmenistan,” the head of the Austrian Foreign Ministry said.
The expansion of trade and investment ties between Turkmenistan and Austria was also discussed. Austrian companies can offer Turkmenistan extensive experience, in particular, in the field of infrastructure development, mechanical engineering and healthcare.
Foreign Minister Schallenberg stressed the importance of using the OSCE more actively as a common platform for dialogue.
One of the main outcomes of the meeting was the signing of 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, providing for regular political consultations, including on Afghanistan, the fight against terrorism, organized crime and illegal migration.
In the framework of his visit to Vienna, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov also held a meeting with the Secretary General for Foreign Affairs of Austria N.Marschik. Diplomats welcomed the efforts of the parties to develop bilateral relations.
On March 12, Meredov will take part in a business round table with the participation of Austrian companies. A meeting of the bilateral economic commission is also scheduled for June.
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The Turkmen delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov is on a working visit to Austria on 10-12 March 2024, MFA Turkmenistan reports.
Within the framework of the visit, meetings are planned in the Government, relevant ministries and departments, with the leadership of international organizations, trade and economic structures and business circles of Austria.
The agenda of the upcoming meetings will focus on issues related to strengthening interstate dialogue, further development of political and diplomatic cooperation, building up trade and economic partnership, as well as expanding contacts in science and education. ///nCa, 11 March 2024