VIENNA, August 25. /TASS/. Moscow is interested in developing regular professional dialogue between qualified Russian and Austrian specialists with priority given to science and technologies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with the leadership and participants of the Russian-Austrian Sochi Dialogue public forum on Wednesday.

The Russian top diplomat expressed hope that personal contacts in the scientific sphere "will resume in the near future" and particularly noted the "first steps" in this direction, for instance, the July conferences on the issues of genetics and climate change which were held within the framework of Russia’s Year of Science and Technologies. "Prominent Russian and Austrian specialists actively participated in these events, and we’re hoping that a discussion of the leaders of our countries’ regions will be held this September in Salzburg as planned," he emphasized.

"Our scientists, the representatives of non-governmental organizations of the two countries actively participate in discussions, and trade experience. And we are interested in maintaining this joint activity on a regular basis," the foreign minister said.