DUSHANBE, October 2, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- The fourth meeting of the Tajikistan-Austria commission for trade economic cooperation took place in Vienna, Austria at the end of last week, the Tajik MFA information department reports.

The co-chairmen of the commission are Saidrahmon Nazriyev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and trade of Tajikistan, and Franz Wessing, Director General, Foreign Economic Cooperation Department, Austria’s Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth.

The sides reportedly discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Austria in sectors like energy, industry, agriculture, tourism, etc.

The meeting resulted in signing of an appropriate protocol, the source said.

We will recall that the Tajikistan-Austria joint commission for trade and economic cooperation held its third session in Dushanbe on December 15, 2012.  During the meeting the sides, with the aim of developing bilateral trade and economic ties, reached an agreement to promote a business sector initiative to develop and expand bilateral cooperation.  The sides also agreed to support measures to organize mutual trade and fact-finding activities, as well as to encourage and support bilateral industrial cooperation in setting up joint ventures on a mutually beneficial basis.

According to the data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, trade between Tajikistan and Austria over the first eight months of this year has valued at little more than 2.7 million U.S. dollars.  This consisted totally of Tajikistan’s imports fro Austria.