Speaker of the Upper House of the Austrian Parliament Holds Talks in Ashgabat
The development of parliamentary diplomacy and the expansion of trade and economic cooperation were the central themes of a visit to Turkmenistan by a delegation led by Christine Schwarz-Fuchs, President of the Federal Council of the Austrian Parliament. She is accompanied on this trip by a large business delegation, comprising executives and representatives from over 30 Austrian companies.
At the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, the Speaker of the Austrian Upper House met with the Chairperson of the Mejlis, Dunyagozel Gulmanova. The two sides discussed key areas for providing the legislative framework for their bilateral partnership and highlighted the role of inter-parliamentary friendship groups in the exchange of experience. Particular emphasis was placed on intensifying contacts between relevant committees, as well as fostering cooperation among female parliamentarians and young legislators.
On the same day, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, held talks with Christine Schwarz-Fuchs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides noted the rapid development of their bilateral dialogue, emphasizing that the primary driver of this partnership is the high-level engagement between the two nations—specifically, the meetings held by the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with the Federal President of Austria. The parties also highlighted their effective cooperation within the frameworks of the UN, the OSCE, and the European Union, a collaboration rooted in both nations' commitment to the status of permanent neutrality.
The practical dimension of the visit was addressed during a Turkmen-Austrian round table, which included the participation of officials overseeing the country’s trade and economic sectors. The discussions with the Austrian delegation involved the Minister of Finance and Economy, Mammetguly Astanagulov; the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mergen Gurdov; and representatives from various enterprises. The participants explored promising avenues for investment cooperation, the strengthening of business ties, and potential joint projects in the fields of industry, agriculture, transport, and logistics.
