Pakistan, Austria pledge to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan was working with European partners to curb illegal immigration. He made these remarks while addressing the Pakistan-Austria Business Forum in Vienna, where he arrived on Sunday for a two-day visit.

PM Shehbaz expressed the resolve to combat illegal immigration in collaboration with countries like Austria, Germany, and France. He noted that every year, many Pakistanis lose their lives while seeking a better future, often falling victim to human smugglers and other criminals.

The premier also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to boosting economic cooperation with Austria. He spoke about the country’s potential in sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, mining, and human resource development.

He said that Pakistan is an agrarian country, with more than 60% of the population living in rural areas, and called upon Austrian expertise to enhance value-addition in citrus and other produce for export markets.

PM Shehbaz invited Austrian investors to explore opportunities in mining, tourism, and engineering. “Austria has world-class expertise in engineering, renewable energy, environmental technology and advanced manufacturing,” he said. He encouraged Austrian companies to participate in Pakistan’s renewable energy projects, grid modernization, and energy logging initiatives.

The prime minister extended a personal invitation to Austrian business leaders to visit Pakistan, promising to showcase investment opportunities and the country’s scenic beauty, from snow-capped mountains to vibrant cultural hubs. He also emphasized the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and Austria, noting decades of Austrian business engagement in Pakistan in areas like cable car installations, minerals, and renewable energy technology.

“Although the level of economic activity in recent years has declined for a variety of reasons, Austrian firms have made impactful contributions in Pakistan,” he added.

PM Shehbaz said discussions with Austrian Federal Chancellor Stocker had been warm, fruitful, and productive, with both leaders agreeing to follow up on these meetings. He highlighted that approximately 60% of Pakistan’s 240 million population is young and ready to contribute to global technological and industrial value chains.

“We are working to equip our youth with modern training — laptops, AI skills, IT-led education, vocational and technical training are being rolled out at the federal and provincial levels,” he said, emphasizing Pakistan’s readiness to supply internationally certified skilled labor to European markets.

The premier also announced that Pakistan will host the EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad at the end of April, with Austrian companies expected to participate and strengthen economic collaboration.

Separately, Pakistan and Austria have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations in fields such as economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, IT, healthcare, and human resource development. This was discussed during a meeting between PM Shehbaz and Chancellor Stocker.

Both sides agreed to finalize memoranda of understanding in these areas and exchanged views on regional and global developments, emphasizing the role of the United Nations in peace, security, climate action, and human rights.

The two leaders also agreed to expand G2G, G2B, and B2B engagements using existing platforms. Upon arrival at the Federal Chancellery, PM Shehbaz was welcomed by Chancellor Stocker with a guard of honour and signed the guest book. The visit included a restricted meeting followed by delegation-level talks.