Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Sunday arrived here on a two-day visit to Austria at the invitation of Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.
The Prime Minister and the Pakistani delegation were warmly welcomed upon arrival at the Vienna International Airport, and a contingent of the Austrian Armed Forces presented salute.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister are part of the Pakistani delegation.
During his visit, he will hold bilateral and delegation-level meetings with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.
The Prime Minister and the Austrian Chancellor will co-chair a meeting of leading businessmen to increase investment between the two countries. The Prime Minister will attend and address the Pakistan-Austria Business Forum.
The Prime Minister will attend and address a special event on the theme of “Sustainable Development, the Path to Global Peace and Prosperity” organized by the United Nations in Vienna. The Prime Minister will also meet the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Accompanying the Prime Minister will be a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information Atta Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, and Foreign Secretary Amina Baloch.
During his stay, Prime Minister Sharif will hold bilateral discussions with Chancellor Stocker to review all aspects of Pakistan-Austria relations.
He will also preside over a session of the Austria Business Forum, organised by the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO), and visit various multilateral organisations to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties.
Pakistan and Austria share cordial and friendly relations rooted in common values such as dialogue, cooperation, adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, multilateral collaboration, and respect for international law.
According to the spokesperson of the Foreign Office (FO) Tahir Andrabi, this landmark visit is expected to reinforce these longstanding ties and expand cooperation in political, economic, and multilateral spheres.
Previously, Pakistan’s then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Austria in 1992, highlighting the significance of Prime Minister Sharif’s trip after a gap of more than thirty years.
Reporter: Anwar Abbas