Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan is working with European partners to curb illegal immigration, as he underscored Islamabad’s commitment to boosting bilateral economic cooperation with Austria.
Addressing the Pakistan-Austria Business Forum in Vienna, where he was on a two-day official visit, he noted Pakistan’s vast potential in key sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, mining, and human resource development. Noting that Pakistan is an agrarian country and more than 60% its population living in rural areas, he urged Austria to help enhance value-addition in citrus and other produce for export markets. He also invited Austrian investors to explore opportunities in mining, tourism and engineering sectors.
“Austria has world-class expertise in engineering, renewable energy, environmental technology and advanced manufacturing,” he said and invited Austrian companies to participate in Pakistan’s renewable energy projects, grid modernization and energy logging initiatives.
In his address, the prime minister extended a personal invitation to Austrian business leaders to visit Pakistan, promising to showcase investment opportunities and the country’s scenic treasures, from snow-capped mountains to vibrant cultural hubs. He said both countries shared a longstanding friendship grounded in historical ties and decades of Austrian business engagement in Pakistan, particularly in areas such as cable car installations, minerals and renewable energy technology.
“Although the level of economic activity in recent years has declined for a variety of reasons, Austrian firms have made impactful contributions in Pakistan,” he said.
The premier noted that discussions with the Austrian Federal Chancellor had been very warm, fruitful and productive, where both leaders agreed to follow up the meetings to take discussions to their logical conclusion. He noted approximately 60% of Pakistan’s 240 million population was young and ready to contribute to global technological and industrial value chains.
“We are working to equip our youth with modern training—laptops, A.I. skills, I.T.-led education, vocational and technical training are being rolled out at the federal and provincial levels,” he said, stressing Pakistan’s readiness to supply internationally certified skilled labor to European markets in response to demand.
The prime minister also announced Pakistan’s intention to host the E.U.-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad at the end of April, with participation from Austrian companies expected to further solidify economic collaboration between the two nations.
Also on Monday, Pakistan and Austria agreed to further strengthen their bilateral relationship in diverse fields, including economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, I.T., healthcare and human resource development and mobility.
Both sides agreed to work on the early finalization of memoranda of understanding related to these areas during a meeting between P.M. Sharif and Federal Chancellor of Austria Stocker.
Both sides also exchanged views on regional and global developments. The agreed on the central role of the United Nations in addressing the challenges of peace and security, peaceful settlement of disputes, sustainable development, climate action and protection and promotion of human rights. They expressed their shared commitment to multilateralism, and appreciated mutual support for each other’s candidatures, while working together with the international community to strengthen the U.N. system.
It was agreed to expand G2G, G2B and B2B engagements between the two countries through the effective utilization of the existing platforms.