ISLAMABAD:

COAS Munir reaffirms strategic bond with UAE

Pakistan on Monday pushed for deeper engagement with Europe on diplomacy, development and migration as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held high-level talks with Austria’s Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker in Vienna.

During the meeting at the Chancellery in historic Hofburg Palace, both sides reaffirmed commitment to multilateralism, the central role of the United Nations and joint efforts to curb illegal immigration, while pledging to expand multi-sectoral bilateral cooperation.

Shehbaz is in Vienna on a two-day official visit, marking the first by a Pakistani prime minister in more than three decades. At the Chancellery, he was accorded a guard of honour upon arrival. He also held a one-on-one meeting with Stocker before holding the delegation-level meeting.

Both leaders recalled the friendly and historic relations between Pakistan and Austria and committed to working more closely to advance cooperation in diverse sectors, according to the report carried by the state-run Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan.

They two leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments, underlining the UN’s central role in addressing peace and security challenges, peaceful settlement of disputes, sustainable development, climate action and the protection and promotion of human rights.

Expressing a shared commitment to multilateralism, the two sides appreciated mutual support for each other’s candidatures and pledged to work with the international community to strengthen the UN system, the reports said.

The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of Pakistan–Austria diplomatic relations, a milestone the prime minister described as carrying “special significance”. In a post later, Shehbaz said that his meeting with Chancellor Stocker was “most warm and productive”.

He added that both countries had reaffirmed their resolve to work together more closely in fields including economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, IT, healthcare and human resource development and mobility.

A key strand of the visit centred on migration. Addressing the Pakistan–Austria High-Level Business Roundtable, the prime minister stressed that Pakistan was “absolutely” opposed to illegal immigration.

He said the Pakistan was working with European partners, including Austria, France and Germany, to “jointly ban this illegal immigration and bring it to a grinding halt”. He assured Austria that Pakistan would meet its demand for skilled labour through certified manpower.

Highlighting Pakistan’s demographic profile, Prime Minister noted that nearly 60% of the country’s population was young and eager for modern training in information technology, artificial intelligence and digital skills.

The leaders also co-chaired a forum of chief executive officers from leading Austrian and Pakistani companies operating in renewable energy, energy efficiency, industrial manufacturing and construction, IT, textiles, surgical equipment, leather and sports products, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, and food and agro-industries.

It was agreed to expand government-to-government, government-to-business and business-to-business engagement through effective use of existing platforms. Inviting Austrian firms to deepen their footprint in Pakistan, Shehbaz called on companies to participate in the upcoming EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad in April.

He also pointed to opportunities in mining and minerals, renewable energy, agriculture and tourism, stressing Pakistan’s potential for value-addition in citrus processing and exports, alongside collaboration in hydropower, solar energy, biomass and grid modernisation.

The prime minister said Austrian expertise in engineering, environmental technology and advanced manufacturing aligned closely with Pakistan’s development priorities. He described his engagement with Austrian leadership and business representatives as fruitful, adding that both sides had agreed to jointly follow up discussions and take them to their logical conclusion.

On agriculture, he underscored Pakistan’s vast rural base and the scope for improving per-acre yields and processing capacity, while also highlighting the country’s mineral resources and inviting Austrian entrepreneurs to visit Pakistan to explore opportunities in textiles, leather, manufacturing and tourism.

Concluding his remarks, Shehbaz Sharif thanked Chancellor Stocker for the meaningful and productive meetings, saying they would lend fresh impetus to bilateral ties, and formally invited the Austrian leader to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.

The Vienna visit also carries a multilateral dimension, with the prime minister set to participate in a UN special event under the theme “Sustainable Development: the Path to Global Peace and Prosperity”, underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to international cooperation on development.

He is also scheduled to meet leaders of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to discuss peaceful nuclear energy, counter-narcotics, crime control and sustainable industrial development.

The delegation accompanying the prime minister included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch.

(WITH INPUTS FROM APP & NEWS DESK)