External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Berlin recently and met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, delivering personal greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a post on X, Jaishankar expressed his honor at meeting Scholz and conveyed PM Modi’s regards, while also looking forward to Scholz’s upcoming visit to India for the 7th Inter-Governmental Consultations.
Jaishankar’s visit to Germany from September 10-11 marked his third bilateral trip to Berlin since becoming External Affairs Minister and his second trip to Germany this year. His previous visit was to Munich in February 2024 for the Munich Security Conference.
During his Berlin visit, Jaishankar also met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations in preparation for the 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) scheduled for October 2024 in New Delhi. They noted that the 18th Asia Pacific Conference (APK) of German Businesses will be held in New Delhi next month, which is expected to enhance the business ties between the two countries.
In addition to discussions on regional and global issues such as Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, and West Asia, Jaishankar met with Jens Ploetner, the Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to the German Chancellor, and Boris Pistorius, the Federal Minister of Defence. These meetings reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening strategic, defense, and security cooperation between India and Germany.
Jaishankar also held discussions with Friedrich Merz, Chairman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group; Michael Roth, Chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee; and other German Parliamentarians. The conversations focused on deepening bilateral engagement, including parliamentary cooperation and addressing key regional and global developments.
Furthermore, Jaishankar was invited as a Guest of Honour to speak at the Annual Conference of German Ambassadors, addressing German Ambassadors and key business leaders.
India and Germany have enjoyed a strategic partnership since 2000, and next year will mark the 25th anniversary of this collaboration. The partnership spans various sectors including trade, investment, defense, science, technology, innovation, sustainability, renewable energy, emerging technologies, development cooperation, culture, education, mobility, and people-to-people connections.
