Jaishankar extends National Day greetings to his Austrian counterpart Beate Meinl-Reisinger
New Delhi, October 26
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday extended greetings of Austria's National Day to the government and people of the nation.
In a post on X, the External Affairs Minister extended greetings to his Austrian counterpart, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, expressing resolve to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two nations.
"Warm felicitations to FM @BMeinl, the Government and people of Austria on their National Day. Committed to further strengthening our Enhanced Partnership," he wrote.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India and Austria maintain a strong and friendly bilateral relationship that celebrated 75 years of diplomatic ties in 2024 (established on November 10, 1949), further elevated during the official visit of Austrian Federal Chancellor Dr. Christian Stocker to India in April 2026.
Marked by historical ties, such as Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visiting Austria in 1955 following the Austrian State Treaty, and recent high-level exchanges including PM Modi's visit to Vienna in July 2024 and Chancellor Stocker's visit in April 2026.
The two nations signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on military matters for defence industrial cooperation and established a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism during the 2026 summit.
On global peacekeeping efforts, India's Centre for UN Peacekeeping partnered with the Austrian Armed Forces International Centre (AUTINT).
Austria and India also maintain regular dialogue through regular Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) and the Joint Economic Commission (JEC), according to MEA.
In economic partnership, the total bilateral trade reached approximately $3.47 billion in 2025 (with balanced exports and imports), building on rapid past growth.
Instituted a bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism in 2026 to resolve operational bottlenecks and boost the ease of doing business for Indian and Austrian companies. Centred on joint research in quantum technology, machine learning, lasers, material science, renewable energy, and tunneling/railway infrastructure.
The India-Austria Startup Bridge (launched in 2024) supports tech innovation, alongside planned joint space industry initiatives.
In terms of mobility, the two nations signed the Comprehensive Partnership for Migration and Mobility in 2023 to streamline legal work migration, student exchanges, and working holiday programs. They also signed an LoI on dual vocational training, skills development, and mutual recognition of educational and vocational qualifications, complemented by Austria's "Focus India" education initiative and portals like TU Austria, as per MEA.
The cultural ties between the two nations comprise deep-rooted historical academic connections, including Sanskrit and Indology studies at the University of Vienna since 1845, active Yoga and Ayurveda communities, and an audiovisual co-production agreement.
— ANI
Leave a comment