German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Arrives In India, To Meet PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday on his first official visit to India. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which important discussions are expected regarding the relations and mutual cooperation between the two countries.

What is the reason for coming to India?

Friedrich Merz has come to India on a two-day visit on 12 and 13 January at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. The journey began as soon as he reached Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. This is his first visit to India after becoming Chancellor; hence, it is being considered special for both countries.

How will the program of the first day be?

Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Marj will go to Sabarmati Ashram on Monday morning at around 9:30 am. There they will spend some time and see places associated with Mahatma Gandhi. After this, both the leaders will participate in the International Kite Festival to be held on the Sabarmati Riverfront.

The official meeting with the delegations of both the countries will start at Mahatma Temple at around 11:15 am. In this meeting many important issues will be discussed between India and Germany.

What will be the focus?

In the meeting, the progress of the strategic partnership between India and Germany so far will be reviewed. It has been almost 25 years since this partnership started. According to officials, topics like increasing trade and investment, cooperation in new technologies, education and opportunities for youth will be important in the talks.

Apart from this, issues related to defense and security, cybersecurity, scientific research, innovation, green energy, and environment-related projects can also be discussed. Both countries want that in the coming years, mutual cooperation should not be limited to papers only but should also be visible on the ground.

Why is this visit considered important?

The last meeting of Prime Minister Modi and Friedrich Merz took place during the G7 summit. At the same time, both the leaders had talked about further strengthening the relations and were invited to visit India.

Now this tour is being considered an important step to further the trust and partnership between the two countries, which may lead to many new agreements and plans in the future.