German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is keen to increase defense cooperation with India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to work together in the defense sector. The joint declaration in this regard states that technology, production, and defense equipment will be produced together in the defense sector.
Scholz’s three-day visit to India has ended. After the seventh intergovernmental talks between India and Germany, 27 agreements were signed between the two countries. They are mainly in the fields of renewable or renewable energy, research and critical technology.
Scholz said that he wants to further increase military cooperation with India, especially in the field of weapons. A Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed between the two countries 20 years ago. Scholz and Modi want to further enhance that relationship.
Narendra Modi said that there is clarity in the relationship between Germany and India. The future of the two countries is very bright.
Scholz was accompanied on this visit by the Minister of Finance and Environment, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, the Minister of Education, the heads of several parliamentary committees and high-ranking government officials. Meanwhile, apart from Narendra Modi, the Minister of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology, and Skill Development were on India’s side.
According to the German Ministry of Finance, India is number three among the countries that received weapons from Germany in the first six months of this year. Earlier, Germany lifted the ban on the sale of small arms and spare parts to India. Germany took this decision as relations between the two countries grew. Otherwise, they do not sell small arms to any country outside NATO.
India is in talks to buy six submarines from Germany. Moreover, Airbus wants to sell them the A400M. Talks are also underway on this.
What Scholz said
At the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024, Scholz said that Germany wants more skilled workers from India. Talent is welcomed in the German labor market. Germany’s doors are open for skilled workers. Germany is cracking down on irregular migration, but it is not being done for skilled workers.
After talks with Modi, Schulz said that Germany urgently needs skilled workers in the fields of medicine, nursing and IT.
Schulz said that India is becoming a global hub in green hydrogen. We want to be its partner. Many of the agreements and understandings reached between India and Germany during this visit are related to green energy.
The German Chancellor said that Germany is India’s largest trading partner within the EU. He wants to further expand this relationship. He wants the EU to have an ambitious trade agreement with India. This will benefit everyone.
Schulz said that India’s role in the stability of South Asia is very important. He is happy with the way India has taken the initiative to resolve the Ukraine problem. However, he believes that it must be resolved while maintaining the independence and integrity of Ukraine.
He said that tensions in the Middle East need to be reduced. For this, a ceasefire and prisoner release are very important. Schultz said that discussions on the Middle East are very important.
Modi’s statement
Narendra Modi said that it is important to solve the problems of Ukraine and the Middle East through diplomacy. The battlefield cannot be a place to solve any problem.
He said that the global forum that was created in the 20th century is not able to solve the problems of the 21st century. That is why the UN Security Council needs to be reformed. For decades, India has been saying that a country with a population of 1.4 billion should be made a permanent member of the Security Council.
Expressing concern about the situation in the Indo-Pacific, Modi said that China is trying to increase its influence here.
The Prime Minister said that India has close military relations with Germany. In this regard, the strength of cooperation between the two countries must be fully utilized.
Sources: PTI, ANI, Reuters
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