The Austrian ambassador made the remarks in a meeting with the mayor and members of the Islamic City Council of Tabriz Sunday night, noting that his country and Iran have had good cooperation in applied sciences, technical, engineering, and medical fields.
Austria and Iran have not only common history and background but also a common future, he said.
Austria has been active in Iran for more than 60 years in cultural and music arenas, he noted, adding that Österreichisches Kulturforum Teheran (ÖKFT) has kicked off cultural activities in different provinces in recent years and that it plans to implement joint cultural projects in Tabriz as well.
The ambassador went on to say that his trip to Tabriz and holding meetings with city officials helped him and representatives of Austrian firms to get acquainted with economic capacities and other opportunities in the city.
Hundreds of years of relationship between the two countries especially signing cooperation agreements has helped both nations to expand mutual ties in the last 150 years, he said, adding that the establishment of the first Austrian consulate in Tabriz enhanced mutual ties.
For his part, Tabriz's Mayor Ya'ghoub Houshyar expressed hope that as a result of more interaction with Austria, foreign investors will invest in large construction projects in the city.
According to the mayor, Tabriz is the third big city in Iran with about two million population, which is also considered the cultural and spiritual capital of the Islamic country, where several renowned poets and cultural figures lived in.
As to scientific and academic centers in Tabriz, Houshyar noted that around 100 thousand students are studying at different universities and other higher education centers in the city.
Tabriz is also important due to its industrial progress, he said, adding that heavy industries, steel factories, car-manufacturing companies, sweets, and chocolate factories, and other firms are active in the city.
Chairman of the Islamic City Council of Tabriz Rasoul Bargi pointed to cultural and political commonalities, which pave the way for the connection between Austrian cities and Tabriz, saying that both countries enjoy various affinities.
The people of Austria and Iran have experienced two kinds of governance – monarchy and republic – as well as wars, so both nations seek peace and friendship, Bargi argued.
Europeans see Austrian people as a generous and nature-loving nation, he said, noting that Iranians in particular those who live in Tabriz like to meet Austrian tourists in the city.
Austria is the cradle of classical music in Europe and Tabriz is famous in terms of music, poem and literature, so Tabriz and a city in Austria can become sister cities in culture-loving and peace-loving arenas.
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