[lg policy] Modi and Merkel to discuss steps to scale up Indo-German ties

Mon Oct 5 14:17:02 UTC 2015

 Modi-Merkel to discuss steps to scale up Indo-German ties
Last Updated: Sunday, October 4, 2015 - 18:50
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
<http://zeenews.india.com/tags/narendra-modi.html> and German Chancellor
Angela Merkel
<http://zeenews.india.com/tags/german-chancellor-angela-merkel.html> will
hold wide-ranging talks here on Monday to significantly scale up bilateral
relations in an array of key sectors with special focus on boosting trade,
security and defence ties.

The talks are likely to focus on deepening bilateral engagement in defence,
security, education, renewable energy, high technology, skill development,
science and technology, railways, water and waste management, urban
development and agriculture. India and Germany are strategic partners since
2001.

Merkel?s three-day visit here comes around six months after Modi?s visit to
Germany and there have been expectations of "path-breaking results" from
the summit-level Inter- Governmental Consultations (IGC) between the two
leaders who have been pushing for unlocking the potential and taking the
ties to higher trajectory.

Modi and Merkel, accompanied by a large delegation of several Cabinet
Ministers and top officials besides CEOs of several top German companies,
are expected to delve deep on removing bottlenecks for expanding bilateral
trade and investment.

The German Chancellor is expected to convey problems faced by German
industries in proceeding with planned investments. Both the leaders are
also likely to exchange views on regional and global issues of common
concern such as climate change.

Germany is India?s largest trading partner in the European Union and the
seventh largest foreign investor in India. The overall exchange of goods
and services between the two countries was valued at around around 15.96
billion euros last year, a drop of 1.14 billion euros from the level of
16.10 billion euros registered in 2013.

While India's exports to Germany rose marginally to 7.03 billion euros in
2014, its German imports dropped to 8.92 billion euros from 9.19 euros in
the previous year. More than 1,600 Indo-German collaborations and around
600 Indo-German joint ventures are currently in operation.

Ahead of Merkel?s visit, German Ambassador Martin Ney said the 3rd
Inter-Governmental Consultations are expected to come out with
"path-breaking results" and inking of "substantial" number of agreements
between the two countries.

Tomorrow, the German Chancellor will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at
Rashtrapati Bhawan. She will also visit Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma
Gandhi. Both Modi and Merkel will have one-on-one meetings before
delegation-level talks.

The Chancellor will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee. The Chancellor
and the Prime Minister will visit Bengaluru on 6 October, where both will
participate in a business event hosted by NASSCOM. They will also visit the
innovation and skilling centres at the German company M/s Bosch.

Merkel and Modi will address the event organized by

NASSCOM and the Fraunhofer Institute and also participate in a working
lunch with high-ranking business leaders from India and Germany.

The Chancellor is accompanied by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
Food and Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt, Education Minister Johanna
Wanka and Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Gerd M?ller.

Several other federal ministries will be represented by state ministers or
state secretaries at the Inter-Governmental Consultations.

"I am convinced that the Indo-German Intergovernmental Consultations will
be a resounding success. We will conclude substantial agreements that
enable us to further complement our respective strengths. It will be an
event, at which natural partners move even closer together," Ambassador Ney
had said at a press conference last week.

During Merkel's visit, both the countries are likely to resolve the sticky
German language issue as they are learnt to have made "substantial
progress" in this regard.

As per sources, under the broad understanding between the two sides, India
will continue to teach German as an additional language in keeping with its
three-language policy while Germany will promote Indian languages,
including Sanskrit, in their educational institutions.

German was introduced as a third language in Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools on
the basis of a memorandum of understanding signed between the KVS and the
Goethe Institute in 2011.

However, in November last year, the Human Resources Development ministry
had decided to discontinue teaching of German as an alternative to Sanskrit
and cited "national interests" for its decision.

Modi-Merkel to discuss steps to scale up Indo-German ties
Last Updated: Sunday, October 4, 2015 - 18:50