Moldova and Austria will sign a memorandum in the field of agriculture as agreed at the first meeting of the Moldovan-Austrian intergovernmental commission for commercial-economic cooperation held in Chisinau on January 28, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Viorel Melnic announced at a press conference. The commission was set up under an agreement signed by the two states in 1993 that took effect in 1995, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Melnic, the Austrian officials expressed readiness to cooperate and share their experience in winemaking and winegrowing. The Institute for Fruitgrowing and Viticulture of Austria will provide scholarships to Moldovan students. Johann Sachs, co-chairman of the commission on behalf of Austria, said that the Ministry of Economy and Labour that he represents is ready to assist in organising training seminars on economic and agriculture-related matters for representatives of interested Moldovan institutions. Austria is also willing to share its experience in the area of renewable energy sources. “This is a matter of major importance to us because we have to import energy and are very vulnerable from this perspective,” Viorel Melnic said. Johann Sachs said that Moldova made significant economic progress in the last few years. Austria and Moldova established commercial relations in 1992. Trade between the two states was less than one million euros at that time. But in 2006 it was 44 million euros, according to Austrian official statistics. In 2007, trade rose by 60%, to over 70 million euros, the Austrian official said. “I want to assure you that the Austrian authorities will make every effort to uphold these upward trends. An economic mission composed of Austrian exporters, importers and investors will come to Moldova in the first half of this year,” Johann Sachs announced. According to Viorel Melnic, the real trade potential between Austria and Moldova is not fully realised, though exports have doubled in value and imports also increased. “We would like Austria to become one of Moldova’s first ten trading partners in the near future,” Melnic said. Seventy-three Austrian companies invested in Moldova’s economy about 5 million euros, the Ministry of Economy and Trade said.