India and Germany Strengthen Ties Ahead of Chancellor Scholz's Visit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Germany's state secretary of foreign office, Thomas Bagger, to prepare for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's October visit. The meeting covered various aspects of the India-Germany relationship, including trade, investment, and technology. Both sides agreed on deepening their strategic partnership.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday engaged in talks with Germany's state secretary of foreign office, Thomas Bagger, to lay the groundwork for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's upcoming visit to India in October.

Bagger also had separate meetings with NSA Ajit Doval and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. Additionally, he co-chaired foreign office consultations with Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri.

Jaishankar expressed his satisfaction with the progress in the India-Germany strategic partnership, emphasizing the anticipation for a productive meeting during the seventh India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) scheduled for October.

During these consultations, both nations reviewed the broad spectrum of their bilateral relations, addressing areas such as trade, investment, defense, and development cooperation. Both sides agreed to deepen ties in emerging technologies, digital platforms, renewable energy, and green economy initiatives, while also extending development cooperation to third countries.

Misri and Bagger held detailed discussions on various regional and global issues, taking stock of the current state of their bilateral relations. The discussions aimed at deepening the India-Germany strategic partnership in light of the upcoming IGC in New Delhi.

Both parties also looked forward to the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses in New Delhi, expecting it to enhance business-to-business collaborations.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that both sides were pleased with the day's consultations and committed to ensuring the success of the upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations.