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Austrian ambassador to Azerbaijan: â€œAustrian Presidentâ€™s visit to Azerbaijan scheduled for next year will be a summit of the relations between the two countriesâ€ â€“ INTERVIEW

19 October 2010 11:17 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Victoria Dementieva â€“ APA. Austrian ambassador to Azerbaijan Sylvia Meier-Kajbic gives interview to APA

- How do you value bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Austria?

- Austria and Azerbaijan recognized each other as an independent country in 1992. The diplomatic ties have been developing very well since than. Azerbaijan sent its ambassador to Vienna in 1995. As you know, offices of the international organizations like OSCE, UN (third headquarters), UNIDO, OPEC and International Agency of Atomic Energy are located in Vienna. Austria opened its diplomatic mission in Baku on June 23, 2010.

- What impact has the opening of Austrian embassy in Azerbaijan on the development of bilateral relations?

- The bilateral relations are supported by opening of diplomatic mission in every country. The embassy is preparing visits of the delegations arriving in Azerbaijan and researching spheres of interest for the development of joint projects. The next summit of the bilateral relations will be an official visit of the Austrian federal president to Azerbaijan next year.

- A consular service was opened at the embassy in July. How many Azerbaijani citizens traveling to Austria received visa in this period?

- Austrian embassy in Baku has granted more than 400 visas since July. Most of them were on business trip, but there were a number of tourists, who received Shengen visas, and students, who were granted with visa after meeting relevant requirements for permission to stay in the country.

- How do you value Azerbaijan-Austrian energy cooperation?

- Nabucco project is a leading subject of the energy field now. The negotiations entered into the important phase and I am optimistically hoping for concrete results in the near future.

- What about the bilateral relations in the cultural field?

-Culture ministries of the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2009. This Memorandum first of all covers cooperation between museums, galleries and libraries, exchange of artists. Preparations are being made for holding culture weeks in Baku and Vienna. An assistant on foreign languages from Austria is working at Azerbaijan University of Languages, Austrian library was opened there in June.

-What is the volume of trade turnover between the countries and has the world financial crisis influenced this cooperation?

-In 2009 Azerbaijanâ€™s export to Austria was â‚¬37.3 million, import from Austria â‚¬42 million. Austria mainly exports to Azerbaijan machine building products, medicines, wood and cattle, buys from Azerbaijan oil products and equipment. Trade turnover has increased by 10 times within past ten years. Despite the stagnation in connection with the economic crisis, Austria sees Azerbaijan as a prosperous economic partner.

-What Austrian companies are functioning in Azerbaijan? What does the sphere of their activity cover?

-A number of Austrian companies are represented in Azerbaijan, they have daughter companies, joint enterprises and representations here. Big companies such as OMV, Strabag, Vamed, Schaller are functioning here. Moreover, Austria sends milk cows to Azerbaijan to increase the local productivity. An Austrian company is the advisor in the construction of Shahdagh Winter Tourism Complex and is cooperating with Azerbaijan Tourism Institute in qualifying employees in the hotel management, tourism.

-What is Austriaâ€™s official position on Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

-Austria supports all efforts that may contribute to the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and trusts OSCEâ€™s efforts. Austria and our partners in the European Union will discuss in Astana summit what contributions OSCE and its institutions can make to the settlement of protracted conflicts.