Business news

MINSK, 22 February (BelTA) – Belarus and Austria discussed opportunities for strengthening the business ties as part of the events scheduled to take place during Belarus’ presidency of the Central European Initiative in 2017, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Alena Kupchyna, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Austria, met with Bernadette Gierlinger, Section Chief in the Austrian Federal Ministry of Research, Science and Economy, to consider ways to intensify the bilateral business ties on 22 February. The meeting was also attended by Franz Wessig, Director General for Foreign Economic Relations at the Ministry of Research, Science and Economy co-chairing the Belarusian-Austrian intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation.

The parties considered the results of the cooperation in 2016, reviewed the status of implementation of the agreements signed during the 13th meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation in Minsk in November 2016, and discussed preparations for the next meeting of the commission slated to take place in Austria in early 2018.

Special attention was paid to lending and investment contacts and the prospects for the implementation of investment projects in Belarus with the participation of Austrian companies, including in the field of green economy.

The sides also considered ways to improve Belarus’ credit rating assigned by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and discussed the prospects of the Development Bank of Austria coming to Belarus.