YEREVAN. – An Armenian-Austrian business forum will be held in Yerevan Thursday. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and the visiting Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg stated about this during their joint news conference in Yerevan Wednesday.

The Armenian FM noted that the current visit of his Austrian colleague coincides with the 30th anniversary of Armenian-Austrian diplomatic relations. According to Mirzoyan, many respective programs have been implemented during these past three decades, and there is a considerable track-record of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and cultural spheres. The Armenian FM added, however, that the full potential of Armenian-Austrian relations has not been used, but there is hope that this visit will be a stimulus to pass to the next stage of these relations.

Mirzoyan informed that the visiting Austrian delegation is accompanied by a business delegation, and that an Armenian-Austrian business forum will be held in Yerevan tomorrow. There are representatives of 20 companies in the Austrian business delegation, and the parties expect that the aforesaid business forum will be productive. Ararat Mirzoyan said that Armenia has a competitive market, the country's authorities are fighting uncompromisingly against corruption, and this creates the necessary conditions for Austrian companies.

During the current visit of the Austrian FM, the office of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) will be opened in Armenia, and this will also become one of the important elements of Armenian-Austrian cooperation.

During their talk, the parties touched upon bilateral issues, as well as the situation in the region and the world. The Armenian FM informed his Austrian counterpart about the processes taking place in the region, the avenues for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the dialogue with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Mirzoyan noted that the Austrian FM welcomed and supported the format of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as the efforts aimed at resolving the Karabakh conflict, and expressed support for the solution of all humanitarian issues—first of all, the return of prisoners and the protection of cultural heritage.

In his turn, Schallenberg stated that this is the second visit by the Austrian FM to Armenia during the last 12 months, and this attests to the importance of the Armenian-Austrian relations. He said that on behalf of the EU they send a clear message that they want to see and contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

The Austrian FM said he is in Armenia along the lines of a bilateral format, and that his message is also clear: they will continue to assist the region and Armenia, they are interested and confident that the region has great potential, and the opening of the ADA office in Yerevan gives more space to them on the map of Armenia and the region, and is a reflection of cooperation.

Schallenberg said that since 2011 Armenia has been a partner country in the context of development assistance, but it is not only about development, and it assists in the important processes taking place in the region.

The Austrian FM said the last time he was in Armenia was in June 2021, and since then the mood has changed, it has become more reassuring, and he believes that there is potential and prospects.