Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Nehammer also promise to provide every possible cooperation to achieve peace and stability in the region
On what is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 41 years, Narendra Modi held extensive discussions on closer bilateral ties with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Vienna on Wednesday (July 10, 2024). Their talks covered deeper cooperation across diverse sectors, including trade and investment, green energy, science and technology, infrastructure development, and AI.
 
They also discussed the situation in Ukraine and West Asia, with Prime Minister Modi building on his earlier statement that this is not an era of war by reiterating that problems cannot be solved on the battlefield but through dialogue and diplomacy.

"Had an excellent meeting with Chancellor @karlnehammer. This visit to Austria is very special because it is after several decades that an Indian Prime Minister is visiting this wonderful country. It is also the time when we are marking 75 years of the India-Austria friendship," Prime Minister Modi said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. 
 
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the two leaders discussed deeper ties in areas like innovation, infrastructure development, renewable energy, and AI.
 
"Furthering India-Austria friendship!

PM @narendramodi had a productive meeting with Chancellor @karlnehammer of Austria. They deliberated on further deepening the friendship between both the countries in sectors such as innovation, infrastructure development, renewable energy, artificial intelligence and more," the PMO said on X.
 
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Jaiswal said the talks covered trade & investment and science & technology in addition to green energy, environment, and climate change.
 
"Energising India-Austria ties!
 
PM @narendramodi held extensive and fruitful talks with Austrian Chancellor @karlnehammer today. 

Discussions covered various dimensions of the bilateral partnership, including trade & investment, S&T, green energy, AI, Start-ups, environment & climate change, cultural cooperation and people to people ties. The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," Jaiswal said. 
 
In a joint press conference with the Austrian Chancellor, Prime Minister Modi said, “We have identified new opportunities to further strengthen our cooperation. We have decided to provide strategic direction to our relationship. A blueprint for cooperation over the coming decades has been prepared. This is not limited to economic cooperation and investment alone. We will work to combine our strengths in areas such as infrastructure development, innovation, renewable energy, hydrogen, water and waste management, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology”.

Describing the hall where they were standing as “very historic”, Prime Minister Modi said it hosted the historic Vienna Congress in the 19th century that provided direction for peace and stability in Europe.
 
“Chancellor Nehammer and I have discussed in detail the ongoing conflicts around the world, whether it is the conflict in Ukraine or the situation in West Asia. I have said before that this is not a time for war. Problems cannot be solved on the battlefield. The loss of innocent lives, anywhere, is unacceptable. India and Austria emphasize on dialogue and diplomacy for the earliest possible restoration of peace and stability. We are both ready to provide every possible cooperation to achieve this,” Prime Minister Modi stated.

Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Nehammer met business leaders from India and Austria. The two nations are confident of leveraging the many opportunities ahead to boost commercial and trade linkages, he said in a post on X.
 
PM Modi highlighted significant potential for collaboration between Indian and Austrian companies in various sectors including infrastructure, renewable energy, green sectors, new and emerging technologies, fintech, start-ups, innovation among others. He also invited Austrian companies to invest in India, MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal said in a post on X. 
 
Prime Minister Modi also met Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
 
"Had a very good meeting with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and discussed ways to expand India-Austria cooperation. @vanderbellen," he said on X.