ISLAMABAD: Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has expressed the desire to expand political and economic relations with Pakistan. The Austrian foreign minister said this while addressing a press conference along with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi after a delegation level talks on Thursday. The visiting foreign minister said that he is accompanied by twenty businessmen from his country and being world leaders in different areas such as hydrogen power, infrastructure, tourism and green technology, they are looking for new markets including the ones in South Asia including Pakistan. Schallenberg said that both Pakistan and Austria also stand side by side in the fight against extremism and terrorism. He said, “We also want peace and stability in Afghanistan.” Speaking on the occasion, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that both sides have charted a way forward to promote the existing bilateral relations. He said, “Our talks today focused on the possibilities of trade and investment cooperation.” Qureshi said Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Austria and considers it an important country of the European Union. He mentioned the excellent investment opportunities available for Austrian companies in Pakistan in the fields of renewable energy, tourism, housing, agriculture, and information technology. He said the special economic zones under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also offer attractive incentives and tax concessions for Austrian investors. He hoped that Austria would continue to support Pakistan in the fourth biennial review of GSP+ status this year.
