German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on India visit, important bilateral talks with PM Modi today

New Delhi: Germany’s Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived on a two-day official visit to India on Monday. He arrived at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. This visit is taking place on the special invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this is considered to be the first official visit of Friedrich Merz to India. This tour is being seen as an important link in the strengthening relations between India and Germany.

The main centers of Chancellor Merz’s tour will be Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet him in Ahmedabad on Monday. His program will begin at around 9:30 am with a visit to Sabarmati Ashram, where he will closely see the legacy related to the life and thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi. After this, at around 10 am, he will participate in the International Kite Festival organized on the banks of Sabarmati river, which is considered a symbol of the cultural identity of Gujarat.

Bilateral talks in Gandhinagar

Formal bilateral meetings between India and Germany will begin at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar from 11:15 am. In these meetings, the leaders of both the countries will review the progress made so far in the India-Germany strategic partnership. Recently this partnership has completed 25 years, from which its strength and continuity can be gauged.

During the talks, special attention will be paid to topics like promotion of trade and investment, cooperation in new technologies, education and skill development, and movement of people. Apart from this, there is also a possibility of detailed discussion on defense and security, science, innovation and research, green energy, sustainable development and further strengthening of people-to-people contacts. Both countries are also working together on global issues like climate change and clean energy.

An important meeting has already taken place

The last meeting of Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz took place during the G7 summit held in Canada. On that occasion, both the leaders had agreed to further expand the India-Germany strategic partnership. During the same conversation, Prime Minister Modi had given an official invitation to Chancellor Merz to visit India, which is now coming true.

Importance attached to India-EU summit

This visit is also considered very important in terms of preparations for the India-European Union summit proposed on January 27. Germany is a major country of the European Union, hence better coordination between India and Germany can also give new strength to the relations between India and Europe.

German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann recently said that the strategic partnership between the two countries has continuously strengthened over time, especially in the field of defense and security. Overall, this visit can prove to be an important step towards further deepening India-Germany relations.