PM Shehbaz accorded guard of honour at Austria's Federal Chancellery

Vienna (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday was warmly received and was accorded a formal guard of honour at the Austrian Chancellery in Vienna.

Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker personally welcomed him as he stepped onto the venue for the formal reception.

The arrival was marked by the playing of the national anthems of Pakistan and Austria, followed by the prime minister reviewing the honour guard, accompanied by Chancellor Stocker.

Afterward, both leaders introduced their delegations to one another, setting the stage for private discussions and full delegation-level talks to review the entire range of bilateral relations between the two countries.

On this ocassion, the premier also signed the guestbook at the Chancellery, leaving a personal message of goodwill.

PM Shehbaz is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi, and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch.

The two-day official visit comes at the invitation of Chancellor Stocker and marks 70 years of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Austria.

The visit also carries historic significance, as it is the first visit by a Pakistani prime minister to Austria in more than three decades, the last having been undertaken by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1992.