Minews - Iran, Austria to cooperate on steel industry

(Minews) - An Austrian trade delegation visiting Iran underlined the country's willingness to develop cooperation with Tehran on railway transportation, steel industry, modern irrigation, drugs and medical equipment, recycling and waste water treatment.

"We are interested in joint cooperation in the agricultural, field, medical industries, new technologies and environment since Austria has stylish methods in these arenas on one hand, and Iran has good experts in these fields on the other hand, which can lead to joint cooperation," the vice-chairman of Austria's Chamber of Commerce said in a meeting with Chairman of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce Gholam-Hossein Shafeyee in Tehran on Monday.

He expressed the hope that the new conditions in Iran would increase the volume of the two countries' trade interactions.

Shafeyee, for his part, referred to the lack of water resources in Iran and the importance of recycling for the country, and said Tehran is interested in using Vienna's experiences in these fields as well as the development of Iran's steel industry.

He said that the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries now stands at $400mln.

Iran and Austria have long enjoyed amicable ties, and the two countries' officials have specially in the last three years stressed expansion of mutual cooperation in various fields.

In relevant remarks in April, Austrian Ambassador to Tehran Friedrich Stift voiced his country's willingness to broaden all-out relations with Iran.

"Austria is very interested in expanding its relations with Iran in different areas," Stift said in a meeting with Qazvin Governor General in the Northern city of Qazvin.

The Austrian ambassador reminded that Tehran-Vienna relations date back to 500 years ago, when the two sides exchanged correspondence, adding that between 40,000 to 60,000 Iranians are living in Austria now.

He pointed to the upcoming visit of Austrian President Heinz Fischer to Iran, and said, "The Austrian president has received his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani's official invitation to visit Iran and we are optimistic that the visit will take place in the second half of 2015."

Also in April, Stift voiced his country's enthusiasm for extensive cooperation with Iran in medical and health fields.

"We will have broader, more serious and more legal cooperation with Iran in the medical field," Stift told reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tehran.

He noted that the Iranian MoU was signed because there are a large number of Iranian physicians in Austria.

In November 2013, the Iranian and Austrian deputy foreign ministers stressed the need for the further development of the relations between the two friendly nations.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi and his Austrian counterpart Reinhold Lopatka, in a meeting in Tehran, expressed the hope that the relations between Tehran and Vienna would witness further enhancement in all sectors.

The Austrian official pointed to the long-standing relations between Iran and Austria, and in the meantime, termed the meeting between Austrian President Heinz Fischer and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York as highly positive and expressed hope that bilateral ties would increase under Rouhani’s tenure.

He added that the two countries should use their potentials to boost mutual cooperation.

Takht Ravanchi, for his part, said that good relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries would serve the interests of Tehran and Vienna.

He also said that the two countries could shore up ties in political, parliamentary, economic and cultural fields.