NEW DELHI: In a step to strengthen bilateral ties Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday.
Modi said that the strategic partnership between India and Germany has emerged as a strong anchor amidst uncertainty in the world.
"The world is passing through times of tensions, conflicts and uncertainty. In the Indo-Pacific region, there are serious concerns about the rule of law and freedom of navigation. In times like this, the strategic partnership between India and Germany has emerged as a strong anchor," Modi said.
Participating in the Seventh Inter-Governmental Consultations with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Modi said India-Germany ties were a transformational partnership of two capable and strong democracies and not a transactional relationship.
Speaking at the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024, PM Modi said, "On one hand, the CEO Forum meeting is underway, while on the other, our navies are conducting joint exercises. German naval ships are currently making a port call in Goa, and soon, we will commence the seventh round of intergovernmental consultations between India and Germany."
The German Chancellor impressed upon the need for collective global efforts to resolve major international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing crisis in West Asia, in accordance with international law and the principles of the UN Charter.
Earlier, the two countries inked several agreements encompassing defence, artificial energy, clean energy, information technology and skill development.
"In the last IGC in Berlin in 2022, we took important decisions for our bilateral cooperation. In two years, there has been encouraging progress in various sectors of our strategic relations. There has been increasing cooperation in areas such as defence, technology, energy, green and sustainable development that have become symbols of mutual trust," Modi said.
The prime minister also welcomed the 'Focus on India' strategy announced by Germany.
"I am delighted that to expand and elevate our partnership, we are taking several new and important initiatives and moving from the 'Whole of Government' to the Whole of Nation approach," Modi said.
In a major accretion on people to people front the German Chancellor announced increasing the visas for Indians, from 20,000 to 90,000.
"Our aim is to enthuse even more skilled workers from your country for Germany," Sholz said.
Germany also mentioned the Indo-Pacific and Scholz underlining "serious concerns regarding the rule of law and freedom of navigation" in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is trying to grow its influence.
The IGC framework was launched in 2011 and allows for a comprehensive review of cooperation and identification of new areas of engagement between the two countries across various sectors.
India and Germany have been working to strengthen their military ties. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in June 2023 in New Delhi.
The TKMS (Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems) of Germany is in the fray for construction and about six submarines (Project 75I) are on.
For the first time, in September, Germany participated in Tarang Shakti Indian Air Force's first multilateral aerial exercise on Indian soil, with its Eurofighter Typhoon performing air manoeuvres.
India and Germany are celebrating 25 years of their strategic partnership.