New Delhi : German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived here on Sunday night on a three-day visit and will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to significantly scale up bilateral relations in an array of key sectors with special focus on boosting trade, security and defence ties.
Merkel, accompanied by a large delegation of several Cabinet Ministers and top officials, was received at the airport by Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha.
Soon after her arrival, Modi tweeted, “Namaste Chancellor Merkel! Warm welcome to you & the delegation. I look forward
to fruitful discussions & strengthening India-Germany ties.”
The talks between Modi and Merkel are likely to focus on deepening bilateral engagement in defence, security, education, renewable energy, high technology, skill development, science and technology, railways, water and waste management, urban development and agriculture.
India and Germany are strategic partners since 2001. The German Chancellor’s visit here comes around six months after Modi’s tour to Germany and there have been expectations of “path-breaking results” from the summit-level Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) between the two leaders who have been pushing for unlocking the potential and taking the ties to higher trajectory.
Both the leaders are expected to delve deep on removing bottlenecks for expanding bilateral trade and Investments. The German Chancellor is also accompanied by a delegation of CEOs of top German companies. The German Chancellor is expected to convey problems faced by German industries in proceeding with planned investments.
Both the leaders are also likely to exchange views on regional and global issues of common concern such as climate change.
