German Defence Minister calls on PMThe German Defence Minister Dr. Ursula von der Leyen called on Prime Minister today. She conveyed Germany's keen interest in collaborating with India in defence technology and equipment, including defence manufacturing in India, cyber security and maritime cooperation. She conveyed that Chancellor Merkel was looking forward to her visit in October 2015 for the Inter-Governmental Commission meeting as an opportunity to deepen cooperation across all areas of bilateral relations. She mentioned that India's participation in the Hannover Trade Fair as Partner Country and Prime Minister's presence at the inauguration had made a visible impact in Germany, and there was a strong interest now in the Make in India mission. Prime Minister recalled his visit to Germany and his excellent discussions with Chancellor Merkel and German business leaders. He reiterated that India considered Germany as a vital economic partner, including in areas like skill development and manufacturing. He invited German companies to take advantage of enormous opportunities of defence manufacturing and defence research and development in India. He looked forward to the visit of Chancellor Merkel later in the year.
