India, Austria agree to ‘sustainable’ economic and tech partnership

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Underscoring the importance of democratic countries such as India and Austria working together to contribute to international and regional peace and prosperity, both leaders reinforced their commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific in accordance with the international law of the sea as reflected in UNCLOS and with full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of navigation to the benefit of maritime security and international peace and stability, the joint statement said in a thinly-veiled reference to China’s assertive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the joint statement, the two leaders exchanged in-depth assessments of recent developments in Europe as well as West Asia/Middle East, and they noted the complementarities in the approaches of the two countries, that prioritise efforts towards restoring peace and avoiding armed conflict as well as rigorous adherence to international law and the UN Charter.

“Concerning the war in Ukraine, both leaders supported any collective effort to facilitate a peaceful resolution consistent with international law and the UN Charter. Both sides believe that achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine requires bringing together all stakeholders and a sincere and earnest engagement between the two parties to the conflict,” the statement said, reflecting both countries’ stance of diplomatic balancing act.

The two leaders also reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border and cyber- terrorism and emphasised that no country should provide safe haven to those who finance, plan, support or commit terrorist acts, it said, in a reference to Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.

In an oblique reference to China’s blocking of listing Pakistan-based terrorists, the joint statement said, “Both sides also called for concerted action against all terrorists, including through designations or individuals affiliated with groups that are listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee.”

The statement also said that the two leaders recalled the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) on the margins of the G20 summit in Delhi in September 2023.

“Chancellor Nehammer congratulated Prime Minister Modi for his leadership of this significant initiative. The two leaders agreed that this project would be of great strategic importance and would significantly enhance the potential and flow of commerce and energy between India, the Middle East and Europe. Chancellor Nehammer conveyed Austria’s keen interest to engage with IMEC and pointed to Austria’s location at the centre of Europe as a key enabler of connectivity,” it said.

The two leaders emphasised that India and the European Union have the largest and most vibrant free-market space in the world, and noted that deeper EU-India ties will be mutually beneficial as well as have a positive global impact. “Chancellor Nehammer and Prime Minister Modi agreed to support various initiatives to bring India and the EU closer. In this context, they reaffirmed their strong support for the ongoing India-EU trade and investment negotiations and the early implementation of the EU-India Connectivity Partnership,” the joint statement said.

And, they reiterated their commitment to achieving comprehensive reforms of the United Nations, including its Security Council. “India reiterated its support for Austria’s UNSC candidature for the term 2027-28, while Austria expressed its support for India’s candidature for the period 2028-29,” it said.

Modi, who was in Austria on July 9 and 10, returned to India on Thursday.