TEHRAN The Austrian Ambassador to Tehran, Helmut Werner Ehrlich, met Iranian Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi on Monday.

According to the Public Relations Department of the Majlis, during the meeting, while underlying the necessity of strengthening and promoting relations between Tehran and Vienna, Karrubi called the visit of Austria's Parliament speaker to Tehran a turning point in the bilateral relations between Iran and Austria.

He said that the frequent meetings between Iranian and Austrian officials, held in both Austria and Iran, are a sign of both countries' determination to develop bilateral relations.

Expressing satisfaction with Iran-Austria cultural and political relations, he called on Austrian investors to expand and develop their activities in Iran.

Later in the meeting, pointing to the vital role played by the two countries' parliaments in strengthening the relations between their governments, he called the formation of parliamentary groups a significant step toward the promotion of parliamentary relations.

The Austrian ambassador, for his turn, while announcing the end of his mission in Tehran, said that Iran-Austria relations were developing and that the Austrian government and Parliament deem developments in Iran to be significant and remarkable. Expressing admiration for the endeavors made by Iranians to achieve independence, Ehrlich said that despite all the pressure the U.S. has put on Iran and despite all the negative political propaganda, Iran has achieved a significant status on the regional and international level.

Also, pointing to President Mohammad Khatami's dialogue among civilizations initiative, Ehrlich added that cultural dialogue will be the basis of exchanging political theories in the current century.

At the end of the meeting, the Austrian ambassador pointed to the measures taken to develop economic relations and called on the Majlis to cooperate in ratifying agreements in this regard.