VIENNA - Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, now leading a delegation on a visit to the Republic of Austria, met with Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna on Thursday.

He conveyed to the regards of the political leadership of the State of Kuwait to the Austrian leaders, expressing the best wishes for the Austrian leaders and people.

Both sides discussed the friendly ties and explored ways for strengthening cooperation in various areas.

The talks focused on the efforts to grant the Kuwaiti nationals the privilege of entering the Schengen visa-free zone and lobbing European support for the Kuwaiti drive.

Sheikh Salem expressed upbeat about Austria's role in this regard given the fact that the country is one of the best destinations for Kuwaiti holidaymakers.

On his part, Schallenberg expressed support for the efforts to grant the Kuwaiti nationals access to the Schengen visa-free zone, noting that the move would have a positive impact on the common interests in the tourist, economic and trade areas.

The talks also dealt with a range of regional and international issues of common concern, including the efforts to resolve conflicts with peaceful means, the latest developments of the Middle East peace process, the Syrian crisis and the Ukraine war.

Both sides welcomed the recent Saudi-Arabian agreement to normalize the diplomatic relations between the two Arabian Gulf countries, noting that the deal will impact positively on regional security and stability.

The meeting between Sheikh Salem and Schallenberg saw the signing of a number of a memos on cooperation in several areas These include a MoU on political consultations between the Kuwaiti and Austrian ministries of foreign affairs, and MoU on credit cooperation between Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

Both sides agreed a memo on health cooperation with will be inked by competent ministers in the near future.