Austrian Foreign Minister Dr Ursula Plassnik has met his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri and they called for enhancing economic and development cooperation between Pakistan and Austria, an official statement said. The two sides discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest and welcomed the significant rise in bilateral trade of Pakistan and Austria in recent years. Kasuri appreciated Austrian support to Pakistan in the European Union and underscored the need for Pakistan s equitable access to EU markets, particularly in the form of Free Trade Agreement. He apprised Plassnik about the Pakistan-India relations and the ongoing composite dialogue for the resolution of all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The Afghanistan situation was discussed in detail and Kasuri underlined Pakistan s commitment towards Afghanistan s stability, progress and reconstruction, which was in Pakistan s own national interest. It was also agreed to further strengthen the ongoing cooperation in educational and technological fields. Pakistan and Austria have meaningful cooperation in diverse fields including railways, oil and gas exploration, power generation, education and tourism development. About 150 Pakistani students are studying in Austrian universities under joint arrangement. The two countries have also entered into a partnership to establish a University of Engineering Sciences and Technology (UESTP) in Lahore.
