Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in office for ten years, landed at Vienna-Schwechat Airport from Moscow on Tuesday evening. He had met ruler Vladimir Putin in Russia. He maintains good personal relations with him.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, India has increasingly been importing cheap oil from Russia, and Modi described Putin as a “dear friend” on Tuesday. At the same time, he criticised armed conflicts in general. His trips to Russia and Austria are the first since the beginning of his third term as prime minister.
During the joint press statement with Nehammer in Vienna on Wednesday, Modi reiterated what he had said during his visit to Russia: “Problems cannot be solved on the battlefield. The loss of innocent lives is unacceptable.” Austria and India offered their support for dialogue between Ukraine and Russia.
Nehammer also offered Austria “as part of the EU, but not of a military alliance” as a partner and place of dialogue to end the war in Ukraine. He wanted a “free and prosperous Ukraine”, said the Chancellor.
Start-up partnership and ten-year roadmap
The second topic discussed by the heads of government was bilateral cooperation in business and science to be intensified. Mr Modi announced that India and Austria were entering into a start-up partnership. In addition, a ten-year roadmap for joint activities will be developed.
Following their meeting in the Federal Chancellery, Nehammer and Modi travelled to the Hofburg for an Indo-Austrian business forum. A meeting between the Federal President Prof. Alexander Van der Bellen in the afternoon is alson on the agenda in the today’s afternoon.
