New Delhi and Vienna signed several agreements, including in migration and mobility during Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to the Austrian capital. The two nations also signed the Working Holiday Programme agreement.
The Migration and Mobility agreement is the first such agreement reached by Austria with any country with whom they have a visa regime and only the second with a non-OECD country, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.
A Working Holiday Programme agreement “will allow Indians on holiday in Austria to find employment and work without a work permit for up to six months.” Other agreements signed between the two nations include the areas of culture and visa-free entry of diplomatic passport holders.
Notably, Jaishankar paid an official visit to Austria from December 31 to January 3. Prior to his visit to Austria, he also paid an official visit to Cyprus from December 29-31.
In a joint press briefing with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Jaishankar said, “We have concluded a number of agreements… I think a particularly noteworthy one is the initialising of the Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement because it will enable demands for skills and talents to be synchronized with their availability.”
Jaishankar noted that India has concluded similar agreements with other nations, including France, Germany and Portugal. He stated that India is a strong supporter of legal migration and mobility. Jaishankar stressed that India wants a “fair, legal and equal opportunity” to showcase the contributions of Indian skills and talent.
“As a country that seeks to utilise the global workplace to the fullest advantage, India is a strong votary of legal migration and mobility. Irregular movement not only enhances the vulnerability of the people involved but is inherently exploitative. We want a fair, legal and equal opportunity to demonstrate the contributions of Indian skills and talent,” Jaishankar said.
In his remarks, Jaishankar further said, “We currently have a trade turnover of approx USD 2.5 billion, and more than 150 Austrian companies are present in India. We would like those numbers to grow substantially. Our understanding is that this endeavour will be pursued through government-encouraged business-led meetings in the course of this year.”
During his visit to Austria, Jaishankar also met Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen and Austrian Parliament Speaker Wolfgang Sobotka. He also met the Austrian Chancellor and held talks with the country’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. During the meetings, the two sides covered issues of bilateral cooperation, and regional and international issues.
In Austria, Jaishankar attended the Austrian New Year’s concert. It was his first visit to Austria as External Affairs Minister and also the first such visit from India in 27 years, the Ministry of External Affairs said in the press release. He also met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev who was also in Vienna at the same time.
During his visit, Jaishankar also held a joint meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia in the Slavkov format. The four Foreign Ministers discussed India-EU relations, respective neighbourhoods and the Ukraine conflict. He also held a separate bilateral meeting with Czech Republic Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.
“For the first time, EAM also held a joint meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Austria, H.E. Mr. Alexander Schallenberg, the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Jan Lipavsky and Slovakia, H.E. Mr. Rastislav Kacer in the Slavkov format,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in the press release.
Jaishankar also met International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi. Both sides discussed further enhancing IAEA’s collaboration with India in many areas, including combating climate change, medical care and other nuclear applications for societal benefit.
During his visit, Jaishankar also interacted with the Indian community in Austria on New Year’s Day. He also engaged with prominent Austrians in the field of foreign and strategic affairs and the Austrian media.
