On Wednesday, Austria and India acknowledged the value of the tourism and cultural sectors and emphasized the need to boost visitor numbers by improving air travel connections.

Tuesday night, PM Modi landed in Vienna for a full day of state visits. The visit is especially significant since it comes during the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Austria and India, and it has been several decades since an Indian prime minister last traveled there.

Notably, this is the first visit to Austria by an Indian prime minister in forty-one years. The latest prime minister to visit Austria was Indira Gandhi in 1983.

An official release from the PMO stated that both countries recognized the importance of tourism in fostering economic, sustainable, and inclusive growth and encouraged relevant agencies to collaborate in order to increase tourist flows in both directions. This included extending the duration of stays, increasing direct flight connectivity, and implementing other initiatives.

Both PM Modi and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed appreciation for the custom of cultural exchanges while pointing out that Austrians are becoming more interested in Ayurveda and yoga. According to the press release, the countries applauded initiatives to strengthen bilateral cultural links in a variety of domains, including as dance, opera, theater, cinema, literature, sports, and music, especially those undertaken within the parameters of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation.

Both leaders acknowledged the value of skill development and the need for trained workers to be mobile in order to facilitate more participation in high-tech industries.

According to the PMO, both presidents expressed their approval of the bilateral Migration and Mobility Agreement’s operationalization, which offers an institutional framework to support these kinds of interactions while also preventing irregular migration.

The presidents of both nations also urged the academic institutions to form forward-thinking alliances in fields like as science, technology, and engineering at the conference.

Notably, in order to strengthen bilateral ties and look into new opportunities for cooperation between India and Austria, PM Modi had important discussions with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Nehammer.

Prime Minister Modi provided insights on his conversations and engagements in a series of postings on X. He said that he “had a very good meeting with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and discussed ways to expand India-Austria cooperation,” highlighting the fruitful conclusion of their discussion.

Additionally, Prime Minister Modi emphasized his discussions with business executives from both nations. “I met Austrian and Indian business heavyweights. He emphasized the mutual confidence in strengthening economic connections when he remarked, “Our nations are confident of leveraging the many opportunities ahead to boost commercial and trade linkages.”