New Delhi: India and Austria Thursday signed a Letter of Intent to cooperate on military matters such as defence industrial and technology partnerships, building on the security and defence partnership signed between the European Union (EU) and New Delhi earlier this year.
The Letter of Intent (LoI) was one of six signed during the visit of Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker’s maiden visit to India. Stocker met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday morning. It is the first visit by an Austrian chancellor to India since 1984.
“We have signed an LoI of developing a joint working group on India-Austria cooperation in military matters. Both leaders underscored the ongoing cooperation in this field. There are two defence corridors we are developing in the world, one in the South and one in the North,” Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said at a special briefing Thursday afternoon.
“Significant numbers of European countries are participating in that…This LoI will provide an institutional framework for promoting defence industrial cooperation and technology partnership, building on the India EU defence and security partnership we signed in January. It will also facilitate defence policy dialogue and training and capacity building on both sides.”
The Letter of Intent is the latest in India’s push to deepen strategic ties with its European partners. The India-EU security and defence pact indicates the trust Brussels has invested in New Delhi, further allowing its member-states to build on bilateral agreements with the Indian government in this sector.
Apart from defence, the two leaders discussed other sectors to increase strategic cooperation including artificial intelligence, quantum computing and high-level defence technologies, George noted.
India and Austria launched an institutional cybersecurity dialogue after the bilateral meeting between Modi and Stocker, as well as establishing a joint working group on counterterrorism.
The two leaders “unequivocally condemned” all forms of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. Modi and Stocker agreed to work together to counter terrorism and radicalisation domestically, while also seeking to combat terrorist financing through relevant multilateral fora including the Finance Action Task Force (FATF), explained India’s Secretary (West).
“India and Austria have a growing economic partnership spanning trade and investment, technology and innovation, green and clean technology, quantum technology, education and cultural exchanges, mobility and people-to-people ties and cooperation in multilateral fora. High technology cooperation has been identified as a central pillar of our enhanced partnership,” George said.
The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, as well as the conflict in West Asia. Modi underlined the need for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, while urging both Russia and Ukraine to return to “dialogue and diplomacy” to find a solution to the four-and-half year long conflict in Eastern Europe.
As for West Asia, both leaders called for unhindered access to maritime shipping across the Strait of Hormuz. The global waterway has been effectively closed for over 40-days following the US-Israel strikes on Iran on 28 February.
A fragile ceasefire has taken hold in the conflict, with the US and Iran engaging in direct negotiations in Islamabad. While the talks last weekend did not see a breakthrough to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, Islamabad has continued its efforts to bring Washington and Tehran to the table.
Stocker’s four-day visit to India also included the meeting of the joint economic working group between the two countries. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called on chancellor Stocker Wednesday. The Austrian chancellor is set to call on President Droupadi Murmu later Thursday evening, following the convening of a joint business forum.
Trade between India and Austria crossed $2 billion last year. For India, Austria remains an important partner in areas such as tunneling, as it is involved in multiple projects.
The two countries also focused on building on the earlier mobility agreement, focussing on skill development alongside the partnership first signed in 2023. India and Austria are focused on cooperating closer in the healthcare sector, as well as in areas such as vocational training.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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