Mr. Jiao Yong, Vice Minister of Water Resources, met Mr. Andrew Rupprechter, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria on March 30, 2015 in Beijing. Both sides exchanged ideas on further promoting the Sino-Austrian water cooperation.

Vice Minister Jiao Yong stated that currently two countries were confronted with several common water problems and challenges and hoped to enhance the bilateral cooperation in the aspects of rural water supply, small hydropower, water pollution and so on. The MOU signed in 2011 between China and Austria in water sector built a cooperation foundation for the bilateral cooperation in the field of water resources.

Vice Minister Rupprechter introduced the practices and future plans of Austria in water management, urban water supply, flood control and hydropower construction, and expressed that there was great potential for future bilateral cooperation and both sides could further carry out pragmatic cooperation in the fields of mountain flood disasters, small hydropower construction and so on.

Both sides agreed to renew the MOU to further widen the cooperation field and conduct the pilot cooperation in the fields of small and middle river management, small hydropower development and rural water supply.

Senior officials from Austrian Embassy and relevant departments of Ministry of Water Resources attended the meeting.