German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday hailed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with India, a key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific, stressing that his government wants to continue the success story, especially after the adoption of a key policy document 'Focus on India' by his Cabinet last week.
"In this world we need friends and allies - just like India and Germany," he wrote on X after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence in New Delhi.
He reacted to a post made by PM Modi, while welcoming the German Chancellor to his residence.
"Happy to be meeting him and discussing an assorted range of issues that will add momentum to the India-Germany friendship. Our nations have a strong track record of developmental cooperation and we look forward to building on this in the times to come," Prime Minister Modi wrote.
Both the leaders later inaugurated and addressed the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024) and also hosted the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) at the Hyderabad House under the slogan 'Growing Together with Innovation, Mobility and Sustainability'.
Before Chancellor Scholz's India visit, the German Cabinet has approved the policy paper 'Focus on India' on October 16, which will review the further development of bilateral relations with India.
"As the fifth largest economy in the world, India already plays a key role in global efforts to protect our climate, biodiversity and achieve the sustainability goals of Agenda 2030. In a region where the principles of the UN Charter, international law and the rules-based international order have come under pressure, India plays a stabilizing role. India also plays a central role for Germany as a country of origin for well-trained specialists," said the German Foreign Ministry.
As India and Germany mark the 25th anniversary of their strategic partnership next year, Berlin wants to take its relations with New Delhi to a new level, the initial steps to which were agreed upon at the IGC consultations on Friday.
During their meeting, both leaders also discussed enhanced security and defence cooperation.
The German Chancellor is likely to head for Goa on Saturday when the German naval frigate 'Baden-Wuerttemberg' and combat support ship 'Frankfurt am Main' would be making a scheduled port call as part of Germany's Indo-Pacific deployment.
"The geopolitical lines of conflict in the Indo-Pacific and the region's high economic dynamism will leave their mark on international order in the 21st century. The German Foreign Office therefore believes it is necessary to expand the partnership with India in the area of security and defence policy."
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