President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Azerbaijan, Etienne Berchtold, on October 5.

Operativ Media reports that the ambassador presented his credentials to the head of state and said in Azerbaijani: "Your Excellency, Mr. President, as the new Austrian ambassador to Baku, I am honored to present my credentials to you."

The ambassador expressed hope that he would improve his Azerbaijani language skills during his diplomatic tenure in the country.

The head of state expressed his appreciation for the ambassador speaking in Azerbaijani.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries in political dialogue, economy, mutual investments, culture, and other areas would expand further. Noting that Austrian companies have been operating in Azerbaijan for many years, he emphasized the importance of increasing their number in the future.

The head of state noted that relations based on mutual respect have developed since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

President Ilham Aliyev wished the ambassador success in his future endeavors.

The ambassador noted that he would spare no effort to expand bilateral relations.

During the meeting, the sides highlighted the role of mutual visits at various levels, political consultations, and interparliamentary ties in developing relations, and emphasized the importance of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Austria within international organizations.

The meeting also highlighted Azerbaijan's contribution to ensuring Europe's energy security, with both sides recalling with satisfaction the start of Azerbaijani natural gas deliveries to Austria in January of this year.