VIENNA: The India-Austria friendship is strong, and it will get even stronger in the times to come, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said as he met Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer for a private engagement ahead of their official talks on Wednesday to tap the full potential of the bilateral partnership.
Modi arrived here from Moscow on Tuesday evening on a two-day visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in over 40 years.
Modi was welcomed by Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg at the airport.
“An important milestone in India-Austria partnership! PM @narendramodi hosted by Austrian Chancellor @karlnehammer for a private engagement. This is the first meeting between the two leaders. Discussions on realising the full potential of bilateral partnership lie ahead,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X, along with photographs of the two leaders together in Vienna.
Modi was seen hugging Nehammer in one of the photos, while in another, the Austrian chancellor was seen clicking a selfie with the prime minister.
Nehammer posted a photo of him and Modi on the microblogging platform and said: “Welcome to Vienna, PM @narendramodi! It is a pleasure and honour to welcome you to Austria. Austria and India are friends and partners. I look forward to our political and economic discussions during your visit!”
The prime minister thanked the Austrian chancellor “for the warm welcome” and said he looks forward to “our discussions tomorrow as well. Our nations will continue working together to further global good”.