Eastern Partnership

In the frame­work of the "Modern Parliament for Modern Armenia" project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a cooperation with the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia took place in spring 2022. In order to gain a pro­found insight into the mechanisms of budget preparation and budget control in Austria, a delegation of Armenian Parliamentarians visited the Austrian Parliament together with the President of the Audit Chamber of Armenia and the Secretary General of the National Assembly.

The study visit included extensive talks with representatives of the budget service and Members of the Budget Committee as well as meetings with the relevant financial institutions. In addition, the opportunity was taken to exchange views with the Bilateral Parliamentary Group and to initiate an exchange of experts in other areas, such as communications, democracy building, and the legislative process, in order to discuss and sub­sequently deepen best practice examples.

The 30th anni­versary of diplomatic relations between Austria and the Republic of Moldova (1992-2022) is also an occasion to deepen the exchange between the two Parliaments at the parliamentary level. The first focus was an exchange on gender budgeting and its importance and role in the budget process. The two‑day seminar was organized by UN Women, the Austrian Embassy in Chișinău and the host Parliament in October 2022 and was held by staff members of the Budget Office of the Parliamentary Administration. To continue the exchange, a delegation visit of the Moldovan Parliament with Members of the Budget Committee is planned for 2023 in Vienna.

In addition, further cooperation in the area of capacity building with the Moldovan Parliamentary Administration is planned, particularly in light of the country's status as an EU accession candidate.