Trade and investment, green energy, defence and security to top PM’s agenda on Europe visit

New Delhi, May 2 FN Agency) Strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership, taking forward cooperation in green energy, enhancing trade and investment, defence and security cooperation with focus on co-design and co-development, and meeting with the Indian diaspora, will be the focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to Germany, Denmark and France beginning tomorrow. New Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, in his first media briefing after taking over on Sunday, said the principal purpose of the Prime Minister’s visit was for India to continue to strengthen its multi-faceted relationship with the three countries. The visit comes amid the Ukraine conflict, with the European countries critical of Russia, especially Germany. The Foreign Secretary said that the PM’s three-day three-nation visit would see a substantial and comprehensive agenda including wide ranging engagement with the political leadership of these countries. He would also interact with the top industrialist and CEOs of the countries. During the first leg of his visit, which begins with Germany, the PM would be accompanied by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh, besides External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Foreign Secretary. Germany currently holds the presidency of the G7. PM Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will hold the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) tomorrow.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the meeting between the two leaders will provide an excellent platform not only to strengthen the existing, multifaceted bilateral partnership, but would also shape and develop an ambitious agenda of cooperation between India and Germany for the months and years ahead, including in the field of green partnership, trade and Investment and the overall strategic partnership. The IGC would see several ministers and officials from both sides engage in bilateral discussions culminating in a plenary session which would be chaired by the two leaders to review and take stock of the cooperation between the two countries across a range of areas as well as to identify fresh areas of partnership, the FS said. The IGC would focus on security, economic and financial partnership, scientific and social exchanges and climate issues. After the IGC, the two leaders would hold a high level interaction with the top CEOs of both countries. The PM would interact with the Indian diaspora in Germany. In the evening, Chancellor Scholz will host a private dinner for the Prime Minister. On May 3, the Prime Minister will travel to Copenhagen on his first visit to Denmark, which would also mark his third summit level interaction with the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Discussions between the two sides will focus on bilateral issues as well as issues of regional and global interest, the FS said. Both the PMs will interact with the business leaders of the two countries under the auspices of the Indian business forum. The PM will pay a call on the Queen Margrethe II who would host an official dinner for PM Modi, and later he would interact with the Indian diaspora. The FS said the green strategic partnership between the two countries is a model of cooperation that focuses on renewable energy and sustainable green growth. The two sides also have a joint action plan for five years focusing on the specific aspects of the green partnership, including on water management, circular economy, shipping and skill development. On May 4, the Prime Minister will participate in the Second India-Nordic summit with the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway. He would also hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. The India partnership with the Nordic countries is structured around four to five clusters. These clusters would include green partnership, digital economy as well as trade and investment and partnership relating to the Arctic region, the FS said. India is the only country apart from the United States that the Nordic countries have a similar meeting with. On his way back, the Prime Minister would stopover in Paris.

France is an important partner of India and Europe and is also currently holding the EU presidency. With President Macron winning a second term, the Prime Minister’s visit to France “will provide an opportunity for us to carry forward the high level engagement between the two countries post the French presidential elections”, the FS said, adding that both countries have continuously nurtured and delivered on the strategic partnership. In Paris, Prime Minister Modi and President Macron will hold extensive talks. On May 4 night, the PM would fly back to India. The Foreign Secretary added that the PM’s first visit abroad “factors in an ambitious and substantial agenda packed into an intense schedule”. To a question whether India’s purchase of more Rafale jets would figure in the talks with the French President, the Foreign Secretary said that India and France have a comprehensive and substantial partnership in defence, which extends to those parts focused on co-designing, co-production, co-manufacturing in India. On what would be India’s position on the Ukraine conflict, which is bound to be raised at all the meetings with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary said that India’s position on Ukraine has been amplified at various fora — which is for cessation of hostilities, and that the path to resolution of the conflict is through diplomacy and dialogue. “PM Modi will exchange India’s perspectives on Ukraine during his visit,” he added.