German Chancellor's India visit to focus on Russia-Ukraine conflict, trade, and climate change

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's upcoming visit to India will be dominated by discussions on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, trade, and climate change. Speaking to the media, German Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann explained that during his visit, Chancellor Scholz will discuss geopolitics with the IndianPrime Minister Narendra Modi, with the Russia-Ukraine conflict being a key item on the agenda. He said, "we have seen President Biden in Ukraine, and we have seen Putin's speech, so this will be a very important item on the agenda."

The ambassador also added that while this is an important issue, the talks will not be restricted to it alone and that other topics such as China and the Indo-Pacific region will also be discussed.

Highlighting India's role in the Ukraine conflict, ambassadorAckermanncalled India a "heavyweight" on the international stage, pointing out that the country has skilled diplomacy. However, he also noted that it is important to find the right moment to step up, saying that "this moment is not right now".

Trade and business will also be a major focus during the visit, with the Chancellor being accompanied by a delegation of CEOs from 12 German companies. The German ambassador stressed the need for an early conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, stating that "German business is very interested in getting this FTA done." The leaders will also interact with CEOs and business leaders from both sides.

In addition to trade, the talks will cover issues such as climate change, energy transition, skilled labour migration, and defence. The ambassador highlighted that the discussions will also focus on legal and regular migration, with the aim of improving ways to obtain work permissions. Ackermann noted that there are currently around 35,000 Indian students in Germany, with a further 18,000 in the pipeline to travel to the country.

This will be Chancellor Scholz's first visit to India in his current role and the first standalone visit of a German Chancellor to India since the Inter-Governmental Consultation mechanism began in 2011.

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