Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Aug.31 / Trend, H. Hasanov /
Governments of Turkmenistan and Austria are preparing for the next meeting of the joint commission on economic cooperation, to be held in Vienna in the second half of 2011.
The meeting is expected to be attended by senior representatives of government authorities and business circles of the two countries.
According to an official Turkmen source, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov touched upon the upcoming forum at a government meeting, saying that Turkmenistan attaches special importance to building mutually beneficial cooperation with the European countries, including with Austria.
"An important role in the dynamic development of bilateral relations is assigned to the joint commission, whose activities, contributing to further strengthening of the fruitful cooperation between the two countries, should focus on concrete, practical results," Berdimuhammadov said.
President Berdimuhammadov's official visit to Vienna in autumn 2008 gave impetus to the relations with Austria.
Diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Austria were established in November 1992. During this period, seven documents were signed at the interdepartmental, intergovernmental and interstate levels.
Priority areas are fuel and energy sector, alternative energy sector, trade, tourism, telecommunications, construction, supply of medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, as well as food industry.
There are 12 business entities with the participation of Austrian capital in Turkmenistan.
The Austrian companies are involved in implementing over 20 Turkmen projects in construction and reconstruction of national economy facilities, exploration and production of hydrocarbon resources.
Turkmenistan is an important partner in energy security for Austria. In particular, OMV Oil and Gas Company, member of the Nabucco Consortium discusses with Ashgabat opportunities to diversify natural gas supplies.
This project envisages gas supplies from the Caspian region and Middle East to the EU. Its maximum capacity is 31 billion cubic meters a year. In addition to OMV, project participants are the Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE.