German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul Arrives in New Delhi
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday said that he looks forward to holding in-depth discussions with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul on various dimensions of bilateral cooperation.
Stressing that India and Germany have a long history of multilateral cooperation, he expressed confidence that the ties between two nations will be advanced further through the talks today.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday following his engagements in Bengaluru, as part of his two-day official visit to India.
While welcoming him, Jaishankar said, “This is happening just a few months after my own visit to Berlin in May, I think, is a statement in itself. We are also aware that this is one of your early visits outside Europe, and we appreciate your coming to India very much.”
Later, in his opening remarks during his meeting with Wadephul on Wednesday, Jaishankar said that India counts on Germany’s support to deepen its ties with the European Union and expedite the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
“As you noted before you departed from Germany, we are marking 25 years of strategic partnership, 50 years of scientific cooperation, almost 60 years of cultural agreements and as you saw in Bangalore, more than a century of business interactions. I’m glad that you had an opportunity on this visit to go to Bengaluru and see the immense potential of our cooperation in technology. I’m also very pleased that you brought along with you a very strong business delegation and some members of parliament,” Jaishankar said.
“So, today I look forward to an in-depth discussion on the various dimensions of our bilateral cooperation. By doing so, we would also be preparing for fruitful intergovernmental consultations afterwards. It will certainly be insightful for us to hear from you, Germany’s perspectives on key global and regional issues. We count on your support to deepen our relationship with the European Union and expedite the FTA negotiations. India and Germany have a strong history of multilateral cooperation, which I’m confident will be advanced further through our talks today,” he added.
On Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed Johann Wadephul to India and expressed confidence that his engagements in Bengaluru and Delhi will further strengthen the strategic partnership between two nations.
“Herzlich Willkommen to India! FM Johann Wadephul of Germany has arrived in New Delhi. His engagements in Bengaluru and Delhi will further strengthen the multifaceted India-Germany Strategic Partnership as we mark 25 years of its completion,” Jaiswal posted on X.
Before departing for India, Johann Wadephul called India a “key partner” in the Indo-Pacific and called the ties between two nations close.
In a post on X, he wrote, “India is a key partner in the Indo-Pacific. Our relations are close – politically, economically, culturally. The expansion of our strategic partnership has much potential: from security cooperation to innovation and technology to recruiting skilled workers.”
“India’s voice, that of the world’s most populous country and largest democracy, is also heard beyond the strategically important Indo-Pacific region. That is why I am travelling today for talks to Bangalore and New Delhi,” he added.
He stressed that India plays a decisive role in shaping the international order of the century and called India and Germany “natural partners.”
“India plays a decisive role in shaping the international order of our century. We as democracies are natural partners in this. In view of massive geopolitical challenges, we want & must preserve the rules-based international order together,” Johann Wadephul posted on X.
