New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar called on Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker in New Delhi on Wednesday, expressing confidence that his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set to be held on Thursday, will open new avenues for greater cooperation between the two nations.

Stocker arrived in India earlier in the day on his first official visit to the country which is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties across key sectors such as trade, investment and emerging technologies.

“Delighted to call on Federal Chancellor Dr. Christian Stocker of Austria, as he begins his first official visit to India. Confident that his discussions with PM Narendra Modi tomorrow will open new avenues for greater cooperation across various domains,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

Earlier in the day, Stocker hailed the growth of India, stressing that it is investing massively in infrastructure and technology and is European Union’s (EU) “most important trading partner” in South Asia.

“India is growing at around seven per cent per year, investing massively in infrastructure and technology, and is today the EU’s most important trading partner in South Asia. For Austria, a small but highly innovative export nation, this is an enormous opportunity that we want to actively seize,” Stocker posted on X after his arrival.

“Especially in times of global uncertainties, stable partnerships are the key to economic success. That is why I will be in New Delhi for the next three days: to create concrete framework conditions so that Austrian companies can benefit from this growth—through new cooperations, deepened partnerships, and even better access to this dynamic market,” he added.

This visit marks Stocker’s first trip to India and his maiden official visit to Asia since assuming office in 2025. He is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, focusing on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, green technology and critical sectors.

“A warm welcome to Federal Chancellor Dr. Christian Stocker of Austria on his first official visit to India. He was received by Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse at the airport. India and Austria share a warm and friendly relationship. Chancellor Stocker’s visit will impart further momentum to ‘Enhanced India–Austria partnership’,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

Stocker is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including senior ministers, government officials and business leaders, underlining the strong economic focus of the visit. Both sides are expected to explore opportunities to deepen collaboration in areas such as advanced manufacturing, digital innovation and renewable energy.

The visit comes amid growing economic engagement between the two countries. Discussions are also likely to cover regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as cooperation in multilateral forums.

India and Austria share long-standing, friendly relations rooted in shared democratic values. The visit builds on the momentum generated by PM Modi’s visit to Austria in 2024 and is expected to further strengthen the India–Austria partnership, opening new avenues for strategic and economic cooperation.

–IANS

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