Rich agenda, lot of deliverables expected: German envoy on Chancellor upcoming India visit

New Delhi (India), September 26 (ANI): German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with key ministers from his cabinet, are scheduled to visit India at the end of October 2024 to engage in high-level bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann, the meeting will establish a comprehensive roadmap for the next two years.

Speaking to ANI, Ambassador Ackermann highlighted the importance of the upcoming visit, noting that it follows Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Berlin in the spring of 2022.

He emphasised the “rich agenda” that will be discussed across multiple levels, with ministers from both sides holding bilateral talks with their respective counterparts. “This will be a very granular meeting, with a lot of deliverables expected,” Ackermann said.

The Chancellor and Prime Minister Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting to discuss key strategic issues. “We are looking forward to some very interesting common projects being rolled out,” the ambassador added, referring to collaborations expected to emerge from the meeting.

The discussions are anticipated to culminate in a joint session where both sides will come together to finalize a two-year roadmap aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two nations.

In addition, the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024 (APK 2024) is also scheduled to be held in the national capital from October 24 to 26.

Notably, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had visited India twice last year. It was in February 2023 that Scholz visited India. It was the first standalone visit by any German Chancellor since the commencement of the Inter-Governmental Consultation (IGC) mechanism between the two nations in 2011, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

He later came in September the same year to attend the G20 Summit under India’s presidency.

India and Germany have had a ‘Strategic Partnership’ since May 2000, which has been further strengthened with the launch of Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) in 2011 at the level of heads of government, which allows for a comprehensive review of cooperation and identification of new areas of engagement.

Prime Minister Modi visited Berlin on May 2, 2022, to co-chair the 6th IGC with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, where he was accompanied by the External Affairs Minister, Finance Minister, National Security Advisor and Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology.

Several agreements were signed in diverse fields such as migration and mobility, triangular development cooperation, agro-ecology, forest landscape restoration,

renewable energy and health. Prime Minister and Chancellor also signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on a Green and Sustainable Development Partnership.