New Delhi: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to arrive in New Delhi on the night of October 24 for the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC), which will take place on October 25. The theme for this year’s consultations is “Growing Together with Innovation, Mobility and Sustainability.”
Chancellor Scholz, who previously visited India twice in 2023 for a bilateral state visit in February and the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September, will be accompanied by senior ministers from his cabinet during this trip, which will also include a visit to Goa.
Key Events and Discussions
On October 25, Scholz will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence, Lok Kalyan Marg. Following their meeting, both leaders will inaugurate and address the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024), expected to host around 650 top business leaders and CEOs from Germany, India, and other nations. This biennial event aims to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Subsequently, a joint plenary session will convene, featuring discussions among ministers from both sides on various topics. The IGC serves as a comprehensive framework for governmental collaboration, with each side reporting outcomes to their respective leaders.
Focus Areas of the Consultations
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has outlined key areas for discussion during the consultations, including:
- Enhanced security and defense cooperation
- Increased opportunities for talent mobility
- Deepening economic cooperation
- Green and sustainable development partnerships
- Collaboration in emerging and strategic technologies
Both leaders will also address significant regional and global developments.
Visit to Goa
Following the IGC, Chancellor Scholz will travel to Goa on October 26, where he will visit the German naval frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the combat support ship Frankfurt am Main, which are making a scheduled port call as part of Germany’s Indo-Pacific deployment.
Strategic Partnership
India and Germany have maintained a strategic partnership since 2000, which has progressively deepened across various sectors. This year marks the 50th anniversary of science and technology collaboration between the two nations. The MEA emphasized that Chancellor Scholz’s visit will further strengthen bilateral ties as both countries enter the 25th year of their strategic partnership.
During his previous visits, Scholz expressed admiration for India’s advancements in technology and digitalization. He highlighted the importance of leveraging India’s potential to enhance the resilience of Germany’s economy and reaffirmed Germany’s interest in collaborating with India in renewable energy sectors, including wind, solar, and biomass.
