RIYADH, 30 July — Austria and the Kingdom will soon sign a major economic cooperation agreement, Foreign Minister Dr. Benita Ferrero Waldner told Arab News in an interview held at her office in Vienna.
She expressed hope that the accord will further boost commercial links between the two countries. Austria and the Kingdom are already working closely on several bilateral and regional issues including the Middle East peace process within the framework of the peace plan of Prince Abdullah, the regent.
"Austria seeks to strengthen ties in all sectors", said Dr. Benita. She said the two countries have forged closer commercial relations with Saudi exports to Austria shooting up by 4.7 percent during 2001. The Kingdom, the most
important of Austria’s trading partners in the Middle East, imported 169 million euros worth of products, over 6 percent more than a year before.
She said Saudi-Austrian negotiations were under way for an agreement to avoid double taxation. The next round of talks will be held early next year.
She said there was also a plan to set up a joint business council following an agreement in this regard by the two sides during the visit of Austrian President Dr Thomas Klestil late last year.
Asked why Austria and some EU countries have been pursuing "active neutrality" especially with regard to the Middle East peace process, Dr. Benita said "it is not true". She strongly supported the creation of an independent Palestinian state, saying that "Austria has a very clear and public stand on the Middle East peace process.
We have always been strongly in favor of the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories". She particularly referred to the peace plan presented by Prince Abdullah, saying that the broad-based Saudi initiative had generated support from various quarters.
Referring to the EU’s ministerial council meeting held last week, she said that the "EU has underlined the necessity of drawing up a road map toward the goal of achieving within a three-year timeframe a final Israeli-Palestinian settlement with two states living side by side in peace and security". The minister said the " US will have to lean to Israel and the EU to Palestine, then only can the two sides find the right solution to the Middle East crisis."
She also said: "Palestinians alone have the right to choose their leaders and no country has the right to impose its decisions on others."
