During his visit to Vienna, the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, met with the Federal President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen.
During the talks, the two sides highlighted the unique spiritual and political closeness between their nations. Turkmenistan and Austria celebrate the anniversaries of their permanent neutrality status almost simultaneously. As Arkadag Berdimuhamedov emphasized, this coincidence symbolizes the shared commitment of both countries to peaceful goals and constructive values.
Austria has consistently supported Turkmenistan’s international initiatives within the United Nations framework.
In particular, Vienna backed Turkmenistan’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2031–2032 term.
The meeting paid special attention to the activities of the Group of Friends of Neutrality, which was established on Turkmenistan’s initiative and which Austria joined among the first participating countries.
The discussions placed strong emphasis on intensifying trade and economic cooperation. Although bilateral trade has shown steady growth, both sides agreed that its full potential has yet to be realized.
In this context, the importance of the Joint Turkmen-Austrian Commission was underlined, and a proposal was made to hold its next session in Ashgabat in June of this year.
Promising areas of cooperation identified during the meeting include high-tech sectors such as green energy, digitalization, and artificial intelligence.
Turkmenistan expressed interest in Austrian expertise in urban infrastructure development, water treatment, and modernization of the banking sector.
Humanitarian cooperation continues to serve as a solid foundation for closer ties between the two peoples. The sides expressed satisfaction with the active academic exchanges, particularly the partnerships between Turkmen universities and the Graz University of Technology and the Vienna Diplomatic Academy.
Cultural relations between the two countries have long been enriched by positive traditions. Residents of Ashgabat regularly attend the Vienna Balls and performances by the Turkmen-Austrian Symphony Orchestra “Galkynyş,” which has become a hallmark of bilateral dialogue.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, noted that Turkmenistan is always open to long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation with Austria. He extended an official invitation to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen to visit Turkmenistan./// nCa, 12 April 2026