German chancellor Olaf Scholz reaches India, holds wide-ranging talks with PM Modi

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and German chancellor Olaf Scholz held wide-ranging talks on Saturday (25) with a focus on boosting the bilateral ties in the areas of clean energy, trade and new technologies.

The talks took place hours after Scholz arrived in New Delhi on a two-day visit to India, his first to the country after he became the German chancellor in December 2021, following Angela Merkel's historic 16-year tenure at the top post.

Earlier, Modi received Scholz at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the German leader was accorded a ceremonial welcome.

In a tweet, Indian ministry of external affairs's (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Scholz's visit is an opportunity to further deepen the multifaceted India-Germany strategic partnership.

"PM @narendramodi welcomes @Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz at Hyderabad House for bilateral talks. Focus of the talks will be on strengthening bilateral cooperation, building on the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership and economic partnership, and forging closer ties in defence," he wrote on Twitter.

The Modi-Scholz talks began at around 11:50 am. local time.

Ahead of the discussions between the two leaders, officials said the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region are also expected to figure prominently in the deliberations.

They said the talks will also focus on expanding cooperation in the areas of trade, defence, clean energy, climate change and new technologies. Modi and Scholz held bilateral talks in the Indonesian resort city of Bali on November 16 last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

The first meeting between the two leaders took place during Modi's visit to Berlin on May 2 last year for the sixth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). It was followed by Modi's visit to the Alpine castle of Schloss Elmau in southern Germany on June 26 and 27 to attend the annual summit of the G7 grouping. Scholz invited Modi for the G7 summit under the German presidency.

The ties between India and Germany have been on an upswing in a range of key areas in the last few years. Scholz will leave for Bengaluru on Sunday (26) morning and is set to depart from the southern city at around 5:30 pm local time.

(PTI)