Russia Enlists Austria's Political Support In Joining EU, WTO

Russia enlisted Austria's political support in joining the EU and the World Trade Organization (WTO), said Wednesday Russian government vice premier Valentina Matviyenko after a session of the Russian-Austrian intergovernmental commission on trade economic and science technical cooperation. The commission's co-chairmen are Valentina Matviyenko on behalf of Russia and Economics minister Martin Bartenstein on behalf of Austria. According to Matviyenko, during the negotiations Austria also supported Russia in the issues of abolishment of anti-dumping procedures as concerns Russian exporters to European countries. Matviyenko said that contacts between Russia and Austria had activated significantly lately. Bilateral trade turnover is constantly growing, stressed the vice premier. Matviyenko and Bartenstein determined the basic prospects of work in the economic sphere. In particular, they discussed the agreement on creation of a workgroup in the field of tourism, a cooperation group in the field of military-industrial complex and forestry, as well as cooperation in small and midsize business. The Russian side passed the Austrians the list of goods Russia is ready to deliver to Austria as repayment of the debt to that country. "This will significantly reduce the tension of the problem of paying off external debts," stressed Matviyenko. Besides, a number of investments was discussed.