Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, currently in Austria with a working visit, met with Ursula Plassnik, Austrian Minister for European Affairs and International Relations. At the meeting the two highly appreciated Armenia and Austria's bilateral relations, which significantly activated recently. Vartan Oskanian and Ursula Plassnik gave a positive assessment to the results of consultations between foreign ministers of both countries that took place in Yerevan in March 2007. "Austrian government's decision to appoint a news Ambassador to Armenia (residence in Vienna) will benefit activation of bilateral ties," the Armenian FM underlined. He also stressed Armenian-Austrian ties have good perspectives for development in different spheres. "The realization of Armenia-EU Action Plan in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy may open ways for effective cooperation with Austria in spheres of High Technologies, tourism, banking and agriculture," Vartan Oskanian noted.

In her part Ursula Plassnik underlined Austria gives a great importance to holding free and fair parliamentarian election in Armenia and is going to participate in the watchdog mission.

By her request the RA FM introduced the Austrian side with the current situation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process and perspectives for its development. At the meeting the two sides also touched upon the coming meeting between Armenian and Azeri FMs in Belgrade.

The Armenian Foreign Minister also met Austrian MFA State Secretary Hans Winkler and delivered a lecture in Vienna Diplomatic Academy titled "Armenian foreign policy in hard times and in unfavorable circumstances", the RA MFA Press Office reports.