Austria Chancellor Karl Nehammer of UK praised India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in front of PM Modi.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chancellor Karl Nehammer referred to the role of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the complex negotiations that helped Austria emerge as a neutral and independent country in 1955. Although Austria had a provisional government until the end of World War II, after Nazi Germany's defeat in 1945, it was occupied by France, the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States, or the so-called Allied Powers. In May 1955, a treaty was signed granting Austria independence and facilitating the withdrawal of occupying forces.
In a statement to the press along with Modi, Nehammer referred to Nehru's role while speaking about the relationship of trust between India and Austria that began in the 1950s. Speaking in German, Nehammer said that when it came to bringing about peace talks that resulted in the (Austrian) State Treaty, India was an important partner and supporter for Austria. Referring to the negotiations that preceded the treaty, he said that in 1953 there was a deadlock, the situation was difficult. It was difficult to make progress with the Soviet Union, and this was the foreign minister's decision. [कार्ल] It was Gruber who approached Prime Minister Nehru… seeking support in bringing the negotiations to a positive conclusion.
He further said that this is what happened and India helped Austria and the negotiations reached a positive conclusion with the Austrian State Treaty in 1955. Several historical documents and articles, including declassified US diplomatic cables and Gruber's memoir “A Political Life: Austria's Journey Between Dictatorships”, have underlined Nehru's role in conveying the message to the Soviet leadership after being approached by the Austrian side.
