Nehru in 1955, Indira in 1983 and now PM Modi to visit Austria after 41 years
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Austria will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to that country in 41 years, the last being of Indira Gandhi in 1983. Modi's official visit on July 9-10 comes when India and Austria mark 75 years of their diplomatic relations.
Jawaharlal Nehru travelled to Austria in 1955 in the first prime ministerial visit since diplomatic ties were established in 1949.
«India and Austria have had a regular exchange of visits including at the level of leaders, ministers and parliamentarians highlighting the importance that both countries accord to further strengthening their relations,» according to a profile of India-Austria bilateral relations put up on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs.
It also shares the history of PM-level and President-level visits from India to Austria.
Then prime minister Indira Gandhi visited Austria in 1971 which was followed by the visit of then Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky in 1980. Gandhi's visit in 1983 was followed by the visit of then chancellor Fred Sinowatz in 1984, it said.
Gandhi was in Vienna from June 16-18 during her 1983 visit, people familiar with the matter said.
While there have been no prime ministerial visits from India since Indira Gandhi's visit, there have been President-level visits to the country.
The then president K R Narayanan visited Austria in 1999; then president Heinz Fischer visited in 2005; then Austrian Vice Chancellor Josef Proll in 2010; and then president Pratibha Devisingh Patil in
