Shehbaz Sharif Meets Austrian Chancellor, Co-Chairs CEOs Forum in Vienna
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Christian Stocker at the Federal Chancellery in the historic Hofburg Palace in Vienna on February 16, 2026.
Upon arrival at the Federal Chancellery, the Prime Minister was received by Chancellor Stocker and accorded a guard of honour. He also recorded his remarks in the Guest Book.
The two leaders held a restricted meeting followed by delegation-level talks. The Pakistani delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch.
Both leaders recalled the friendly and historic ties between Pakistan and Austria and agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations across multiple sectors, including economic cooperation, trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, information technology, healthcare, and human resource development and mobility. They agreed to work towards early finalization of memoranda of understanding currently under consideration in these areas.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global developments and reaffirmed the central role of the United Nations in addressing issues related to peace and security, peaceful settlement of disputes, sustainable development, climate action, and the promotion and protection of human rights. They reiterated their commitment to multilateralism and appreciated mutual support for each other’s candidatures, while working with the international community to strengthen the UN system.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chancellor Stocker co-chaired a forum of chief executive officers from leading Austrian and Pakistani companies operating in renewable energy, energy efficiency, industrial manufacturing and construction, IT, textiles, surgical equipment, leather and sports goods, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, and food and agro-industries. It was agreed to expand government-to-government, government-to-business, and business-to-business engagement through effective use of existing platforms. The Prime Minister invited Austrian companies to participate in the upcoming EU-Pakistan Business Forum to be held in Islamabad in April.
In their remarks at the CEOs Forum, both leaders highlighted the potential for enhancing trade and cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and other priority sectors. The Prime Minister encouraged Austrian businesses to expand investment in Pakistan and invited them to visit Pakistan to explore new opportunities.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the Pakistan-Austria Business Forum organized by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
The Prime Minister thanked the Austrian Chancellor for the productive meetings, stating that the visit would provide fresh momentum to bilateral relations, and extended an invitation to Chancellor Stocker to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
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