Focus on India paper to bring Indo-German ties to next level: German envoy

German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, said on Monday, that the idea behind the adoption of a paper called 'Focus On India' is that Germany wants to bring its ties with the South Asian country to next level and stressed that they need a holistic approach.

In an interview with ANI, Ackermann said that the paper has been adopted before the intergovernmental consultation set to be held between India and Germany. According to him, there is no other country with whom Germany has this kind of cooperation.

Speaking on the adoption of the Focus on India paper, he stated, "It is true that ahead of the intergovernment consultations, the German government has adopted a paper that is called Focus on India. That's an interagency process in Germany, and the German government has gathered all the elements of our cooperation with India. That is an exercise that's quite unique. I think there is no other country with whom we have this kind of cooperation. So, this is a new exercise for the German government. The idea behind this is that we want to bring the Indo-German relations to a next level, so to speak. And therefore we need a holistic approach."

He further said, "We need every department getting together and we need, you know, bringing every cooperation of every angle of the cooperation to the table and that includes our cooperation on climate change in the framework of the GSTP, the Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development, that includes our new migration policy, our new academic cooperation, Indian students coming to Germany, Indian skilled labour coming to Germany. That includes our business cooperation and also our political cooperation."

He stated that a number of issues are reflected in this paper and added that it will materialise when the two government will meet to discuss the roadmap for the next two years.

Ackermann said, "So, you have a whole range of issues that are reflected in this paper. It's basically a commitment to this partnership between Germany and India, and it will materialize when by the end of this week when the governments come together, the Indian and the German governments come together to discuss the roadmap for the next two years. And I think it's very timely that we come up with this paper a couple of days ahead of these consultations."

On October 16, Germany's Cabinet adopted the key strategic document Focus on India, which sheds light on the future direction of bilateral relations with India. The German Government wants to raise the strategic partnership that has underpinned our relationship with India since 2000 to a new level. The first steps towards implementation are to be agreed at the next Indo-German intergovernmental consultations set to be held at the end of the month.

Asked whether the issues mentioned in the paper will be part of the consultation, he said, "Absolutely, it will be basically, it's reflected in the agenda of this intergovernmental consultations. You know that Germany and India have this bi-annual exercise that the cabinets come together. It's also a very unique thing, you have it with India. India doesn't have it with any other country, I guess. There will be bilateral meetings between the ...ministries and then in a big plenary session all the ministers come together and they agree on a joint statement that will reflect all the areas of cooperation that will have been discussed during these consultations."

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz will pay an official visit to India from 24-26 October 2024 for the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC), a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.

On October 25, PM Modi and Chancellor Scholz will co-chair the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations. Scholz will be accompanied by senior Ministers in his cabinet for the IGC consultations.

He recalled that the Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development has been born or created or inaugurated when PM Modi and his ministers travelled to Berlin in 2022. He stated that PM Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will address a very important German business meeting and the Asia-Pacific Conference of German business.

He said, "We have seen in 2022 when Prime Minister Modi and his ministers travelled to Berlin that the Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development has been born or created or inaugurated and we will take stock of that this time but also the Prime Minister and the German Chancellor will address a very important German business meeting, the Asia-Pacific Conference of German business."

"About 800 German CEOs coming from all over the country to India, to Delhi, and discuss on the engagement of German business in India. So that is a parallel event, and which will be honored by the leaders of the two countries. And then we have to not to forget that there will be a third event, namely a German frigate and a combat support ship will reach Goa, and will, after having exercised with the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific, will make a port call in Goa and the Chancellor will go there and also see the ship coming," he added.

He stressed that Germany wants to be a stable and very important security partner to India. He stated that Germany has increased defence cooperation with India. He expressed Germany's willingness to engage with India on armament procurement.

Asked whether the security cooperation is also mentioned in the document, he said, "I think we have also shown that Germany wants to be a stable and very important security partner to India. We have seen Tarang Shakti, the air exercise in Coimbatore where German Air Force came for the first time and exercised with the Indian Air Force. Now we have the joint Navy exercise in the Pacific on the western coast of India. And at the same time, we have increased our defence cooperation. When it comes to armament procurement, Germany has shown to India that we are really ready to engage also in this matter. So, that is also reflected in the paper and it shows that we see India as an important security partner."

Ackermann stressed that Germany will in the future support metros in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. He noted that have framework of the Partnership for Green Assembly Development where they have more than one billion euros a year together with India.

Highlighting the energy cooperation between India and Germany, he stated, "We have this framework of the Partnership for Green Assembly Development where we have more than one billion euros a year together with India in a sort of very concrete way of setting up projects be that smart cities, you know, we will in the future support metros in Ahmedabad, in Bengaluru, also in Mumbai."

"There is agro-ecology angle There is forest projects. In the northeast we have energy mix, change of energy mix where less fossil fuels, more renewables are coming in. That's the whole range of projects, very concrete hands-on projects, which are summed up under the Partnership of Green Sustainable Development. And I think that is a very hands-on way how to together with India, fight climate change. It's a great partnership, I would say," he added.

PM Modi and Scholz will address the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024) being held in New Delhi on October 25.

The APK, a biennial event for business leaders, executives, and political representatives from Germany and the countries in the Indo-Pacific, is expected to give a further fillip to trade and investment ties between our two countries. About 650 top business leaders and CEOs from Germany, India, and other countries are expected to participate in the event, the statement said.

Chancellor Scholz will then travel to Goa, where the German naval frigate "Baden-Wuerttemberg" and combat support ship "Frankfurt am Main" will make a scheduled port call as part of Germany's Indo-Pacific deployment.