German Chancellor Scholz arrives in India on 2-day visit

NEW DELHI: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in India on February 25 on a two-day visit that is expected to further expand the overall bilateral relations in a number of key areas, including new technologies, clean energy and trade and investment.

Mr. Scholz will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at around 11:45 a.m., covering the Ukraine conflict, the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to boost bilateral ties.

It is Mr. Scholz's first visit to India after he became the German chancellor in December 2021 following Angela Merkel's historic 16-year tenure at the top post.

People familiar with the broad agenda of the Modi-Scholz talks said the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict are expected to figure prominently during 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.

The two leaders are also expected to delve into the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has witnessed growing Chinese assertiveness in the last few years.

Mr. Modi and Mr. 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 Mr. 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.

Mr. Scholz invited Mr. 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.

Mr. Scholz will leave for Bengaluru on Sunday morning and is set to depart from the capital city of Karnataka at around 5:30 pm.