New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): India and Austria held the 8th Foreign Office Consultations recently, covering the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic and commercial ties, as well as cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

The 8th India-Austria Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) were held in Vienna on 12 December, with the Indian side being led by Secretary (West) Sibi George, while the Austrian team was led by Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

'The discussions covered a wide range of areas, including political engagement, trade and economic cooperation, science and technology, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people ties. Cooperation between the two countries in international and multilateral fora was also discussed,' the MEA said in an official statement.

It was agreed to maintain regular official exchanges and hold the next FOC in New Delhi at a mutually convenient time.

Earlier in September, in an effort to strengthen people-to-people ties and education between the countries, Austria launched a major initiative to attract Indian students to its leading technical universities, aiming to address its 'great demand' for skilled labour.

Speaking to ANI, Austrian Ambassador to India Katharina Wieser said the initiative--led by three top universities under the umbrella of TU Austria (TU Wien, TU Graz and TU Leoben)--targets more than 300 Indian students in its first year, with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

The initiative has been implemented in partnership with VFS Education Services, a subsidiary of VFS Global, to streamline admissions for eligible Indian students holding BE/BTech/BSc (Hons.) degrees from ANABIN-recognised institutions. Applicants will undergo a comprehensive evaluation, including academic records, English proficiency, and one-on-one assessments.

Fields on offer include metallurgy, biotechnology, circular engineering, computer science, AI and robotics, sustainable technologies, petroleum engineering, and green chemistry--areas directly tied to Austria's industrial innovation and global sustainability challenges. (ANI)