Austria Pledges to Support Vietnam's Bid to Join WTO

Austria, soon to become the 2006 EU president in the next few days, pledges to totally back Vietnam’s admission to participate in the World Trade Organization (WTO) as soon as possible, announced recently Austrian Ambassador to Hanoi Dr. Josef Muellner.

 

The ambassador also committed that the foreign country together with other European Union (EU) members will help Vietnam achieve its social-economic targets after the Southeast Asian country joins the WTO.

 

Besides, Vietnam will continue receiving assistances from Austria to fight against corruption as well as HIV/AIDS in the coming years, he continued

 

Also, the ambassador said Austria wants the support of Vietnam in combating illegal immigration, international terrorism, and climate change. However, the ambassador had not yet mentioned priorities the Vietnamese side should grant the country in their bilateral relationship.

 

Vietnam and Austrian established diplomatic relations in December 1972, however it was not until September 1998 that the foreign country set up its embassy in Hanoi.

 

Vietnam-Austrian trade is still limited, the number in 2002 was US$144 million, but it fell to US$69 million in 2003, in the first seven month of last year it stood at US$48 million.

 

As at the end of November this year, Austria ranked 49^th among countries and territories in the world and 10th among EU countries investing in Vietnam. It has ten projects capitalized at US$14.38 million, with US$5.41 million already disbursed.