In Austria, Prime Minister Modi reiterates: “This is not the time for war”

Vienna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he had a “fruitful conversation” with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer during which they discussed in detail the ongoing conflicts in the world, including the Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia. He reiterated that “this is not the time for war”.

Modi, who arrived here from Moscow after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday evening for a two-day visit – the first by an Indian prime minister in over 40 years – also said India and Austria had identified new opportunities to further strengthen mutual cooperation and drawn up a cooperation plan for the coming decade.

“Today, Chancellor Nehammer and I had a very fruitful conversation. We identified new opportunities to further strengthen our mutual cooperation. We decided to give our relationship a strategic direction. A cooperation plan has been drawn up for the coming decade,” Modi said in a joint media appearance with Chancellor Nehammer after their talks.

“Chancellor Nehammer and I have spoken at length about the ongoing conflicts around the world, be it the conflict in Ukraine or the situation in West Asia. I have said before that this is not the time for war,” said the Prime Minister.

Modi stressed that solutions to problems cannot be found on the battlefield. India and Austria value dialogue and diplomacy and are therefore ready to provide any support required.

Modi said both India and Austria strongly condemn terrorism and agree that it is not acceptable in any form. “This cannot be justified in any way,” he said.

Modi said he was glad that he had the opportunity to visit Austria at the very beginning of his third term. “This visit is both historic and special; no Indian Prime Minister has visited Austria in 41 years.” He said the shared belief in values ​​such as democracy and the rule of law is the strong foundation of India-Austria relations. “Mutual trust and common interests strengthen our relations,” he added.

“We agree to reform the United Nations and other international institutions to make them contemporary and effective,” Modi added.