PM Modi arrives in Austria for one-day state visit

Notably, this is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Austria in 41 years. In 1983, Indira Gandhi was the last PM to visit the country.

Modi was welcomed by Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg at the airport. Later, he interacted with members of the Indian diaspora and was hosted by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer for a private engagement.

During his visit, Modi will meet Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and also hold talks with Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The Prime Minister and Chancellor will also address business leaders from India and Austria, according to PTI.

On Sunday, ahead of his visit to Austria, Modi said that the shared values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law form the bedrock upon which the two countries will build an ever-closer partnership.

His remark came a day after Austrian Chancellor Nehammer posted on ‘X’, “I very much look forward to welcoming Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, the world’s largest democracy, next week in Vienna.”

“This visit is a special honour as it marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in over 40 years and a significant milestone as we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations with India,” he said.

“We will have the opportunity to talk about further deepening our bilateral relationship and closer cooperation on the many geopolitical challenges,” the Austrian chancellor said.

In response, Modi said: “Thank you, Chancellor Karl Nehammer. It is indeed an honour to visit Austria to mark this historic occasion. I look forward to our discussions on strengthening the bonds between our nations and exploring new avenues of cooperation.”

“The shared values of democracy, freedom and rule of law form the bedrock upon which we will build an ever closer partnership,” he said.

PM Modi’s Russia visit

Earlier in the day, Modi concluded his two-day high-profile visit to Russia, where he attended the 22nd India-Russia annual summit with President Vladimir Putin. This was his first trip to the country since it invaded Ukraine.

During Modi’s two-day visit to Russia, New Delhi and Moscow signed nine MoUs and agreements in several sectors, including trade, climate and research.

According to the list of agreements and MoUs released by the Ministry of External Affairs, India and Russia agreed on a program for bilateral cooperation in trade, economic and investment spheres in the Russian Far East for the period 2024-2029. The two countries also agreed on cooperation principles in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. These initiatives were undertaken to enhance trade and joint investment projects between the Far East Region of Russia and India.

During the visit, PM Modi also praised India’s ties with Russia, calling the country India’s “all-weather friend” and commending President Putin for strengthening bilateral relations over the past two decades.

Modi also held talks with Russian President Putin at the Kremlin, where the he reiterated India’s commitment to peace and willingness to help end the conflict in Ukraine.

Modi said the killing of innocent children is heart-wrenching and very painful, a day after a suspected Russian missile struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv triggered global outrage.

“Let’s take war, any conflict or terrorist acts: any person who believes in humanity feels pain when people die, and especially when innocent children die. When we feel such pain, the heart simply explodes, and I had the opportunity to talk about these issues with you yesterday,” Modi told Putin.

Modi was also ceremoniously presented with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, Russia’s highest civilian honour by President Putin. Notably, the award was bestowed on PM Modi in 2019, but he received it physically today.