Oriented on making people closer

The 30th anniversary of Austria's diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan was celebrated at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna – on Tuesday a round table was organized here dedicated to the round date from the date of the signing of the joint communique by the countries on October 16, 1992.

The event was organized by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Austria, attended by the heads of the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, the Federal Chamber of Economics of Austria, members of the Board of the Austrian-Turkmen Society, heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states accredited in Vienna, representatives of the press.

Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Austria Khemra Amannazarov shared his vision of the future cooperation of the two countries, Rector of the International University of Humanities and Development of Turkmenistan Esen Aydogdiyev (also previously worked as Ambassador to Austria), Head of the Foreign Economic Relations Group of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs of Austria and co-chairman of the Austrian-Turkmen joint Commission on Economic Cooperation Franz Wessig, the famous Austrian politician Richard Schenz and others.

The speakers touched upon various aspects of the Turkmen-Austrian dialogue, both in the field of politics and in the trade and economic sphere, through humanitarian and cultural contacts.

In particular, Esen Aydogdiyev noted the importance of the memorandum signed by him on October 10 between MUGNiR and the Austrian University of Applied Sciences Krems, which is a continuation of the memorandum of 2017, whose term has already expired.

The new document opens up opportunities for expanding cooperation in the academic and scientific fields by organizing internships for Turkmen students in Austria, licensing training according to European standards and creating a double degree program.

There are many channels of diplomacy. In a round table conversation in Vienna, economic and cultural diplomacy was highlighted.

In the first direction, the activities of the joint intergovernmental commission on trade and economic issues, the importance of bilateral business forums were noted. Thus, from November 28 to December 3, the Federal Chamber of Economics of Austria plans to delegate an economic mission to Ashgabat and Mary consisting of representatives of well-known Austrian firms.

Cultural diplomacy occupies one of the central places in the bilateral relations between Turkmenistan and Austria. The Austrian-Turkmen Society, which turned 14 this year, is contributing to this dialogue.

The audience was presented with the ORIENT website, with which the Austrian-Turkmen Society signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of information exchange in 2019. As an example of such interaction, a recent interview with the Governor and Mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, is given.

During the round table discussion, special attention was paid to the phenomenon of Turkmen neutrality and the neutral status of Austria, which are reflected in the peaceful foreign policy of both states, following the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect and considering them an integral factor of sustainable development, stability and security.

Prospects for the development of bilateral relations between Turkmenistan and Austria, their cooperation within the framework of international organizations based in Vienna were considered.

The meeting once again confirmed the great interest of the diplomatic and economic circles of Austria in Turkmenistan as a rapidly developing country with rich resources and a unique heritage in the heart of the Eurasian continent on the Great Silk Road.

Neda BERGER,
President of the Austrian-Turkmen Society,
ORIENT's own correspondent in Austria