Pakistan and Austria to strengthen ties in trade, investment, and multilateral cooperation

Pakistan and Austria have agreed to deepen bilateral ties across a broad range of sectors, including economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, education, healthcare, IT, and human resource development. The commitment was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Chancellor of Austria Christian Stocker in Vienna on Monday.

Both leaders discussed several initiatives to enhance collaboration, with a focus on the early finalization of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) in the areas of trade, tourism, and education, as well as human resource development. They also agreed to expand engagement between government entities, businesses, and industries through platforms like G2G (government-to-government), G2B (government-to-business), and B2B (business-to-business) relations.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, the two leaders addressed key regional and global issues. They emphasized the central role of the United Nations in tackling challenges such as peace and security, sustainable development, and climate action, along with the promotion of human rights. They also reiterated their shared commitment to multilateralism and noted their mutual support for each other's candidacies within the UN system.

A significant part of the discussions focused on strengthening commercial ties, especially in areas like renewable energy, industrial manufacturing, and healthcare. To this end, both leaders co‑chaired a forum of CEOs from leading Austrian and Pakistani companies involved in renewable energy, energy efficiency, textiles, surgical equipment, leather, sports products, and more.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also invited Austrian businesses to participate in the EU-Pakistan Business Forum, scheduled for April 2026 in Islamabad, aiming to further boost bilateral economic relations.

Thanking Chancellor Stocker for his leadership in advancing the relationship, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended a formal invitation for Chancellor Stocker to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience.

The visit began with a ceremonial welcome, including an impressive guard of honour for the Prime Minister upon his arrival at the Federal Chancellery. The two leaders engaged in both restricted and delegation-level talks, marking the beginning of a new phase in Pakistan-Austria relations.