La Paz, Oct 2 (Prensa Latina) President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, will meet today with social organizations in the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz, in the second and final day of his official visit to this country.
Fisher arrived in the eastern city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra the night before, and was received by Vice president Álvaro García Linera, Governor Rubén Costas, and the mayor of the city, Percy Fernández.

In the morning, the visiting president, accompanied by García Linera, will meet with representatives of social organizations and at noon he will return to his country.

Yesterday, Fisher was awarded by the President Evo Morales with the order El Cóndor of the Andes, the highest distinction awarded by Bolivia, as recognition for his work to strengthen ties between both nations.

In a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, headquarters of the Executive, and with the presence of Vice president Álvaro García Linera, several ministers, and of the Austrian delegation, Morales awarded Fisher, who thanked the distinction.

'I'm very happy for this award but others (Austrians) also rejoice because everyone has worked hard for the future success of relations between our countries' he said.

Fisher was also recognized for his willingness to authorize, in July 2013, the landing of the presidential plane in his country, an action that according to him "did not need much debate because the landing was very urgent".

On July 4, 2013, Fischer opened the Austrian airspace and the airport in Vienna at a time when four European nations revoked flight and refuelling permission for the presidential aircraft from Bolivia with Morales on board, due to the alleged transfer of a fugitive American intelligence agent.

As part of the visit, both governments signed a bilateral cooperation agreement, which provides for the modernization and expansion of existing capacities in the field of transport, infrastructure technologies, communications and control systems of waterways, as part of the Austrian-Bolivian global cooperation.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing of Bolivia, Milton Claros, and the Federal Minister of Justice of the Republic of Austria, Wolfgang Brandstetter.

The visiting president, accompanied by Morales, toured the Green and Yellow lines of the cable car in La Paz, and declared to be impressed by the magnificence of the work, built by the Austrian company Doppelmayer.

Before leaving this capital, Fisher received a reception from the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.