Pakistan, Austria agree to strengthen bilateral ties

Pakistan and Austria have agreed to strengthen their bilateral relationship during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s high-level visit to Vienna, the first by a Pakistani premier to Austria in over three decades.

The visit also marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Shehbaz described it as “special and significant,” reflecting a renewed commitment to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors.

In Vienna, the prime minister held a warm and productive meeting with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker at the Federal Chancellery. The two leaders reaffirmed their determination to work more closely on economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, information technology, healthcare, and human resource development and mobility.

An official statement said both leaders agreed to accelerate the finalisation of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in these areas. They also discussed regional and global developments, highlighting the United Nations’ central role in promoting peace and security, sustainable development, climate action, and the protection of human rights.

The meeting began with a restricted discussion between the two leaders, followed by delegation-level talks. The Pakistani delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch.

On the economic front, the leaders co-chaired a meeting with CEOs from leading Austrian and Pakistani companies. Both sides agreed to expand government-to-government (G2G), government-to-business (G2B), and business-to-business (B2B) engagement through existing platforms. Prime Minister Shehbaz also invited Austrian companies to participate in the upcoming EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad this April.

A key highlight of the visit was the signing of an MoU between Pakistani and Austrian companies, witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Carmen Goby. This agreement marks a concrete step toward closer commercial collaboration.

The visit underscores both countries’ shared commitment to translating their longstanding friendship into a stronger economic and strategic partnership.