Pakistan, Austria agree to deepen bilateral cooperation

-- PM Shehbaz, Chancellor Stocker hold talks to boost trade, investment, and sectoral cooperation

-- Pakistan, Austria reaffirm commitment to UN-centred multilateralism

-- CEOs’ Forum, MoUs signal push for stronger business-to-business engagement

-- PM vows joint action with Europe to curb illegal immigration

VIENNA: Pakistan and Austria on Monday agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in Vienna.

The premier arrived in the Austrian capital a day earlier on a two-day official visit — the first by a Pakistani prime minister to Austria since 1992. He was received at the Federal Chancellery with a guard of honour, where the national anthems of both countries were played before delegation-level talks commenced.

According to a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID), the two leaders held a restricted meeting followed by detailed discussions between their respective delegations. The Pakistani side included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch.

Both leaders recalled the friendly and historic ties between the two countries and expressed commitment to expanding cooperation in economic collaboration, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, information technology, healthcare, human resource development and mobility. They agreed to expedite the finalisation of memoranda of understanding under consideration in these sectors.

The prime minister and the chancellor also exchanged views on regional and global developments, reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in addressing global challenges, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate action and human rights protection. They reiterated their shared commitment to multilateralism and appreciated mutual support for each other’s candidatures at international forums.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked Chancellor Stocker for what he described as meaningful and productive engagements and invited him to undertake an official visit to Pakistan.

The two leaders co-chaired a meeting of chief executive officers from leading Austrian and Pakistani companies, agreeing to expand government-to-government, government-to-business and business-to-business cooperation through existing platforms. The prime minister invited Austrian firms to participate in the upcoming EU-Pakistan Business Forum scheduled to be held in Islamabad in April.

During the visit, PM Shehbaz and Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Vice President Carmen Goby witnessed the signing of an MoU between Pakistani and Austrian companies.

In a post on X, the premier noted that the visit coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Austria, calling his meeting with Chancellor Stocker “warm and prproductive."

Separately, addressing the Pakistan–Austria High-Level Business Roundtable in Vienna, the prime minister said Pakistan was working with European partners—including Austria, France and Germany—to jointly curb illegal immigration.

He stressed that Pakistan opposed illegal migration and was committed to halting it in cooperation with European countries. He also assured Austria that Pakistan would meet its demand for skilled labour in accordance with international certification standards.

Highlighting Pakistan’s demographic potential, Shehbaz said 60 per cent of the country’s population comprised youth who required modern skills, including IT and AI training. He pointed to opportunities for cooperation in mining, renewable energy and agriculture, noting that Austrian expertise could support value addition in Pakistan’s citrus sector for exports to Europe and beyond.

The visit marks seven decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries and signals renewed momentum in bilateral engagement.