New Delhi: A day after his first visit to Russia since the war in Ukraine began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the loss of “innocent lives”, whether in Ukraine or West Asia, was “unacceptable”.

This was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Vienna in 41 years, after Indira Gandhi visited Austria in 1983.

Modi arrived in Austria on Tuesday (July 9) evening from Moscow after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi's visit to Russia was also his first bilateral foreign trip in his third term.

Following formal talks, Modi and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer issued press statements, but no agreements were announced.

“I have said before that this is not a time for war. Problems cannot be solved on the battlefield. The loss of innocent lives, anywhere, is unacceptable,” Modi said at a joint press conference with Nehammer in Vienna on Wednesday.

He also said the two had discussed the “situation in West Asia” – an apparent reference to the Israel-Hamas war – and that India and Austria emphasise “dialogue and diplomacy for the earliest possible restoration of peace and stability”.

Nehammer said he and Modi had “very intensive talks about the Russian aggression against Ukraine” and that it was important for him to familiarise Modi with European concerns around the conflict, PTI reported.

Given India's “unique position” in the “so-called Global South”, the fact that it was an “important, influential and credit-worthy country” and its status as the world's largest democracy meant its role was “more than important” for any Russo-Ukrainian peace process, Nehammer added.

Incidentally, the Austrian chancellor highlighted another Russian angle.

According to the Austrian Press Agency, Nehammer expressly thanked India for its role in the conclusion of the State Treaty in 1955, which finally removed Allied occupation and established Austria as an independent state.

In 1953, treaty negotiations had stalled over the question of Austrian neutrality, especially with the Soviets. Nehammer stated that during that difficult period, then-Austrian foreign minister Karl Gruber approached Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who then advocated for Austria in Moscow.

As per the US state department's history of the 1955 treaty, the “Austrian foreign minister went through the neutral government of India to inform the Soviet Union that if a treaty was signed, independent Austria would also remain neutral, staying out of NATO or other defensive arrangements”.

Austria is one of only six European countries that are not part of NATO, which is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary at a summit in Washington.

Two days earlier, Modi had hugged Putin at his country house near Moscow, which led Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to strongly criticise him.

“It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian air strikes on Kiev hours before photos of Modi and Putin circulated online.

Ukraine alleged that at least one of the missiles hit a children's hospital.

The US state department had also said it hoped that India would urge Russia to adhere to the UN Charter and said it would review Modi's public statements.

In his public remarks at the Kremlin, Modi seemed to refer to the hospital incident when he said “any person who believes in humanity” feels pain “especially when innocent children die”.

Modi also said “bombs, bullets and guns cannot bring peace” and reiterated that “dialogue is necessary”, in line with India's stance on the Ukraine war, which has avoided any direct condemnation of Russia.

During his joint press conference with Nehammer on Wednesday, Modi said the two sides planned to cooperate not only on the economic front but also to collaborate in areas including infrastructure development, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.

“An agreement on mobility and migration partnership has already been reached,” he said referring to agreement reached last year, adding that this would facilitate the movement of skilled workers between the two countries.

The Austrian chancellor said the two countries were “very close” to concluding a cooperation agreement between Indian and Austrian technical universities.

Modi also met with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and addressed a meeting of CEOs of Indian and Austrian companies.

According to the Austrian government, the bilateral trade volume was worth around 2.7 billion euros in 2023, making India one of Vienna’s most important trading partners outside of the European Union.

With 150 Austrian companies in India, direct investment from the country is around 733 million euros. Indian direct investment in Austria is more than double that at 1.6 billion euros.

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