New Delhi
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in New Delhi on Thursday night for the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) scheduled for today. The theme of this year’s consultations is ‘Growing Together with Innovation, Mobility and Sustainability.’
Scholz, who visited India twice last year, will be accompanied by senior ministers from his cabinet. During his Oct 24-26 trip, he will also travel to Goa.
Scholz will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence before both leaders inaugurate the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024). This biennial event is expected to attract around 650 business leaders and CEOs from Germany, India, and other countries, aiming to boost trade and investment ties.
Following the conference, a joint plenary session will take place, where ministers from both countries will discuss various issues and report their findings to the Prime Minister and Chancellor.
Key topics for discussion include enhancing security and defense cooperation, mobility of talent, deeper economic collaboration, and a Green and Sustainable Development Partnership. The talks will also cover important regional and global developments.
On Saturday, Scholz will visit Goa, where the German naval frigate ‘Baden-Wuerttemberg’ and combat support ship ‘Frankfurt am Main’ will be docked as part of Germany’s Indo-Pacific deployment.
India and Germany have enjoyed a strategic partnership since 2000, which has strengthened over the years. He has expressed interest in collaborating on renewable energies and other economic sectors, highlighting India’s capabilities in digitalization and software development.
