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Transcript of Special briefing on Official visit of Chancellor of Germany to India (October 25, 2024)

India - Ministry of External Affairs

October 25, 2024

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon friends, I welcome you to this press briefing. We have with us Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri to brief you all on the visit of the Chancellor of Germany to India. Joining him on the dais, we have Shri Piyush Srivastava who is Joint Secretary looking after Germany and other countries in Europe West division. With that, I invite Foreign Secretary to make his opening remarks.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Thank you, Randhir. Good evening, dear friends. As you are aware, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Excellency, Olaf Scholz, is on a visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This is a multi-part visit. It has three distinct elements. The first one is the seventh India-Germany intergovernmental consultations which the Chancellor co-chaired with the Prime Minister. The intergovernmental consultations are a somewhat unique method of engagement between two governments where the two leaders get together with a large number of their cabinet colleagues who independently hold meetings under separate verticals and then report the results of their discussions to the two leaders. So this was the seventh in that series of consultations.

The visit also featured addresses by both leaders to the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business. As you may be aware, this is a major conference on the calendar of German business. It is held in different parts of the world in different years. The last such conference that took place in India was nearly 12 years ago and it is after 12 years that the conference was returning to India gathering together German business leaders from a whole host of German industry and business.

The third and final part of the visit which will unfold tomorrow is the Chancellor's trip to Goa to visit two German naval ships that will be making a port call there after having undertaken exercises with the Indian Navy in the last few days.

The Chancellor is accompanied by a high-powered delegation, as I said, which comprises the Vice-Chancellor of Germany, who is also the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The other ministers accompanying are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and the Minister for Education and Research. This is Chancellor Scholz's third visit to India in his capacity as Chancellor. In the last two years, he and the Prime Minister have met on five occasions, indicating the depth and breadth of our bilateral ties.

This year, 2024, we are also celebrating the Golden Jubilee, the 50th year of India-Germany science and technology collaboration and next year in 2025, we will celebrate the Silver Jubilee, 25 years of the India-Germany strategic partnership. The Chancellor arrived last night. This morning, he and the Prime Minister had a restricted bilateral meeting. Subsequently, they both addressed the Asia-Pacific Conference, where over 650 leading industry representatives from India-Germany and other countries in the Indo-Pacific were present.

In their bilateral meeting, apart from discussing various areas of bilateral cooperation, they also touched on important regional and global issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia. The high point of the visit was the intergovernmental consultations, which were co-chaired by the Chancellor and the Prime Minister.

The relationship was reviewed across multiple pillars in the relationship and these are primarily foreign policy and security, economy and commerce, the green sustainable development cooperation and critical and emerging technologies and innovation, science and technology and something that is emerging as a very important pole of India-Germany relations, which is mobility and migration and people-to-people ties.

The visit comes at a time when there has been a keen desire expressed in Germany across party lines to further strengthen relations with India. In fact, India, you might recall, was one of the few countries that was named in the coalition-government agreement that was put together when Chancellor Scholz assumed office. The agreement states that coalition partners have outstanding interest in deepening the strategic partnership with India. In addition, you may also be aware that for the first time, the German government has released two India-specific policy documents.

One is a focus on India, which is only the second such country report that Germany has released about any country and the second is a skilled labor strategy, which is the first such report that Germany has released about any country.

On the bilateral front, the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the considerable progress that has been made in diverse sectors of trade and investment, green and sustainable development, economic and development cooperation, science and technological collaboration, education, culture, people-to-people relations and the areas that are now emerging at the forefront of their cooperation, which includes critical and emerging technologies, defense and security and, as I said earlier, skilling and mobility.

Relations between India and Germany have been on a constant upswing in recent years. Our bilateral trade stood at 33 billion dollars in 2023 and cumulative German investments in India amount to nearly 15 billion dollars. As both sides pointed out on repeated occasions during this morning's discussions in multiple formats, there has been substantial progress made but there is still significant potential in the relationship that remains to be exploited.

In the political and security domain, counter-terrorism cooperation featured as an important element in the discussions between the two leaders. In order to promote closer cooperation, in order to investigate and prosecute criminals including for the crimes of terrorism, there was a very important agreement that was concluded during this visit which is the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters and the Agreement on the Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Information.

As I said, defense cooperation has emerged in recent years as a very promising area of bilateral cooperation. We have seen an appreciable change and evolution in the regulatory environment in so far as export clearances for India are concerned and this is a very welcome development.

There have been increasing interactions and exchanges between the armed forces of the two countries. I referred to the naval exercise that has just been held and as part of Germany's Indo-Pacific deployment, two German ships, Frigate, Baden-Wurttemberg and a supply ship, Frankfurt am Main, are making portcalls in Goa and the German Chancellor will be visiting these ships personally tomorrow.

One of the themes or rather the main theme of this year's IGC was also growing together with innovation, mobility and sustainability and the central focus was technology and innovation. In keeping with this, the leaders launched the India-Germany Innovation and Technology Partnership Roadmap which will guide the two countries' efforts in the areas of renewable energy, start-ups, semiconductors, AI, quantum computing and skill development.

On the front of sustainable development and clean energy, both leaders welcomed the launch on the occasion of this visit of the Green Hydrogen Roadmap which will facilitate production and trade in green hydrogen and the German interlocutors mentioned the prospects of India emerging as a major green hydrogen production hub which would then in turn benefit the clean energy objectives of a number of partner countries including Germany.

India and Germany are also cooperating in third countries under the framework of the Trilateral Partnership and this is a development cooperation initiative in which we cooperate on development projects in third countries and there are three pilot projects that are currently running in African countries and during the course of this IGC we have announced new projects on millets in Madagascar and Ethiopia.

Finally, one other area which I pointed out earlier has emerged as a major area in the relationship which is the migration and mobility of skilled professionals and students between the two countries. Today at around 50,000, Indian students form the largest cohort of foreign students in Germany and it might interest you to know that the Indian community in Germany today stands at a quarter of a million and it has doubled in just the last four years in size. So that gives a snapshot of the progress that has been made in this particular area.

Prime Minister therefore welcomed the German government's recent strategy to attract skilled labor from India and indeed all German leaders during the IGC emphasized on the intention and desire of Germany to further increase this intake of skilled professionals and talent from India. During the IGC, both sides concluded a joint declaration of intent on labor and employment and also an MOU on skill development.

Tomorrow as I said, the German Chancellor accompanied by the German Foreign Minister and other German dignitaries will be visiting Goa. He will visit the two German ships that are making a port call there. Our Minister of State for Defense and the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Western Naval Command will receive the Chancellor in Goa. The visit will end tomorrow evening when the Chancellor will return to Berlin from Goa tomorrow evening.

Just a few other points. There will be a joint statement that will give you a fuller insight into the developments and the progress registered between the two sides in discussions over the course of the last year.

There will also be details of the agreements that have been signed. My understanding is that close to 18 agreements or documents were concluded between the two sides on this occasion. 8 of these were exchanged in front of the leaders but the full list I imagine will be publicly available.

There were also a number of key announcements as many as 7 announcements that were made. They include the placement of a German Liaison Officer in the Indian Ocean Region Information Fusion Centre here in Gurugram, Germany's support for India's observer status in the Eurodrone program, German projects and funding commitments of 20 million Euros under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, the instituting regional consultations between the Foreign Offices of India and Germany on various regional matters. I have already referred to the Millet pilot project in Madagascar and Ethiopia.

A Green and Sustainable Development Partnership dashboard was launched on this occasion and the first international research training group between India and Germany was established on this occasion. Okay, let me stop here and if you have any questions, we are happy to take them.

Ajay Banerjee: Good evening Foreign Secretary, I am Ajay Banerjee with The Tribune. Sir my question pertains to the transfer of technology the Germany is promising with regards to making of submarines in India. Have they mentioned the submarines to us, is there a talk about technology transfer? And is India satisfied with Germany's recent changes in the regulation with regards transfer of technology?

Ayushi Agarwal: Sir good evening, this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. Sir, did the issue of Ariha Shah, the Indian child in German foster care come up during the discussion with the German Chancellor? Also was there any talks regarding a repatriations since it has been more than three years now?

Huma Siddiqui: Sir I am Huma Siddiqui from the Financial Express. I have two questions. One is related to India-EU FTA come with discussions.

And you talked about the green hydrogen roadmap?

Padma Rao: Padma Rao, Independent Correspondent on assignment for Frankfurter Rundschau. Foreign Secretary, there is an ICM India sector for migration, it's an e-portal set up by the Ministry of External Affairs. To my understanding, this was set up primarily to ensure the safety of recruitment procedures for Indians, mostly for Indians going to the Gulf. Is this portal more a protective cover for those wishing to go abroad and not to promote, or does it also promote migration to go abroad? And if so, then roughly what percentage of those going to Germany would have used this portal?

And I have one follow-up on Ariha, since you mentioned the mutual legal assistance treaty in criminal matters, whether that is likely to affect the baby Ariha case. Thank you.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Let me take these questions. Ajay, on your question of the transfer of technology for submarines, as you know, there is a project that is underway, where the Ministry of Defense is involved in an exercise to assess competing offers for the submarines that India wishes to procure. This is an ongoing technical, financial and commercial process, so it has not yet been completed. Obviously, yes, the German side is interested in this issue and there was a reference made on this, but I think it would be very difficult to say anything until such time as a commercial agreement is concluded between the two sides on this issue.

On the other part of your question with regard to regulations on transfer of technology and related to the defense ecosystem as a whole, as I said, we have seen very promising developments over not just developments but also actions that have been taken in terms of clearances that have been facilitated over the course of the last couple of years and increasingly there has been an opening up of this sector, something that I would say has not happened on this scale in previous years. So this is, from our perspective, a very, very welcome development and it offers much greater confidence in the plan that both countries have to set up a durable and sustainable defense industrial cooperation roadmap which also came up for discussion between the two leaders.

Ayushi on the issue related to Ariha Shah, who as you know is currently in Germany under foster care, has been followed very, very closely by us at various levels, we have taken it up here. Our embassy in Berlin has taken it up regularly with the German side when the External Affairs Minister was in Germany a few weeks ago, he had raised it very strongly with his counterparts and yes, I can that it was raised during the meeting today as well. We have at all levels impressed upon the German side that an Indian child who is growing up in an environment that is not her cultural, religious, linguistic environment is somewhat unnatural and that this situation needs to be addressed and that these particular rights of the child can only be addressed if the child grows up in an Indian environment. What I can say to you is that the Chancellor assured the Prime Minister that he was very closely following this issue and continued to pay close attention to this issue and I am sure the two sides will remain in touch on this issue through multiple channels which, on which efforts are ongoing.

On the India-EU FTA, I do not know if you followed the APK addresses this morning. You would have seen that the German Chancellor himself made a reference to the India-EU FTA in his remarks and then in the IGC consultations as well. The issue was raised by multiple interlocutors and a desire was expressed that this should be taken forward, that it has remained pending for very long. As the largest economy in the European Union, we certainly value the support of Germany in these ongoing negotiations and I think Germany really understands the fact that the expeditious conclusion of the India-EU FTA makes not just business sense but amongst two trusted partners such as India and Germany, it is also a strategic imperative especially when you take the larger global economic environment into account.

On the green hydrogen road map, essentially I think you will probably be able to see once the document details are available but this is something that has been worked on between the two sides through wide-ranging stakeholder consultations and is intended largely to guide the efforts of the public sector, the private sector, industries and research institutions on the production, utilization and storage of green hydrogen. As you are aware, we have a National Green Hydrogen mission that has been launched and the idea is to develop production facilities in India by manufacturing electrolyzers and eventually substituting the use of traditional fuels in India especially in the transportation sector by green hydrogen but then also to become in a sense the hub of green hydrogen manufacturing and export from India and in that the partnership with Germany will be a particularly valuable one.

On this issue related to the India center of migration portal, the arrangements for migration are between the German federal employment agency with our agencies and in certain cases they are state-based agencies and Indian skilled workers do use the portal for seeking employment under this program. But we can get you some more details on this particular issue.

Sudhi Ranjan Sen: Foreign Secretary, Sudhi Ranjan Sen from Bloomberg. If you could give us an understanding on whether there were discussions or whether the Prime Minister referred to sharing of emerging critical technology. What kind of discussions happened in that and what kind of agreements or arrangements we can look forward to?

And also, sir, were there any discussions between the two sides on a logistic supply agreement that would greatly help the military cooperation? Thank you.

Rishabh: Foreign Secretary good evening, this is Rishabh from Times Now. Sir, I have a question. Can we expect more collaboration in the manufacturing and technology sector, especially with respect to the Make an India initiative that the Government of India have? And one more question on skilling. A lot of focus about India-Germany, people-to-people connect as well as skilling and skill development has been spoken about if we can have more details on that.

Madhurendra Kumar: Sir jaisa ki aapne bataya ki Bhartiya students ki sankya behad kam samay mei double ho gayi hain Germany mei. Toh kya Bhartiya students ke liye visa process ko ease karne ke liye koi batchit hui hain, is sandarbh mei koi development hua ho?

Aur mera dusra sawal hain ki Indo-Pacific ko lekar aapne jikar kiya ki Indo-Pacific mei do German ships jo hain woh deploy kiye gaye hain, toh Indo-Pacific ko lekar kya koi specific donon rastr adhyakshon ke beech hui hain?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, as you mentioned, the number of Indian students in Germany has doubled in a very short period. Has there been any discussion or development regarding easing the visa process for Indian students in this context?

And my second question is about the Indo-Pacific. You mentioned that two German ships have been deployed there. Has there been any specific discussion between the two heads of state regarding the Indo-Pacific?

Ayanangsha Maitra: Excellency, this is Ayanangsha Maitra. Is it possible to mention whether Germany will collaborate on the agricultural and technological front for the Millets projects in Ethiopia and Madagascar? Also if it's possible to elucidate something on the migration and mobility part? Thank you.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Okay let me -- on the sharing of critical and emerging technologies, as you are aware, Sudhi, in the last few years we in India have focused on growing or bringing into play reliable supply chains, especially in so far as critical technologies are concerned and a number of initiatives have been in play with a few countries. In that context, we have had some discussions with Germany as well and indeed there is an initiative with regard to starting a dialogue with Germany that is focused on critical and emerging technologies. I think there is a reference to this in the joint statement as well and the one that will be released this evening. It will have more details on this issue but I can to you that we have reached in principle agreement to devote particular attention to this area of critical and emerging technologies and I imagine we will take it forward in the coming times.

On logistics supply enabling further military cooperation, both governments are discussing a logistics support agreement. It is under negotiation at the moment and we hope to conclude it in the near future.

Rishabh, your question with regard to manufacturing and technology sectors and the collaboration in those sectors, Germany is a premier partner of India in the Make in India program which really focuses on manufacturing and advanced technology. German companies already partner in the development of the manufacturing ecosystem in India. There are more than 2000 German companies present in India and Germany is the 9th largest foreign investor in India.

The fact that we had after a long time the APK event, the Asia Pacific conference of German business back in India, the fact that chancellor and prime minister together addressed it signifies the attention and the significance of the need for that both countries in fact attach importance to developing resilient supply chains and the role that India can play in the diversification and de-risking of global supply chains.

The German government has taken very positive note of the initiatives that the government has launched in recent years, whether it is with regard to improving our domestic manufacturing ecosystem or with regard to policies in a host of areas related to taxation, labor, employment and the general aspect of ease of doing business and the discussions that were held today at APK but also in an exclusive meeting that was held between select German CEOs with the two leaders, it was clear that there was great keenness on the German side to partner with India and grow the business to business partnership with India in these sectors that you have mentioned.

Insofar as skilling and people to people contact is concerned, I think I have spoken already to the developments that have taken place in recent times. In this particular area, the migration and mobility partnership signed with Germany has been one of the most formative areas. German interlocutors today refer to the need of the German economy for more skilled professionals, for more talent that the economy needs. As is well known, India has talent available in abundance. What is particularly notable is that the Indian immigrant community of workers and students and skilled professionals that is present in Germany today is increasingly being regarded as a model immigrant community on account of the way it conducts itself, on account of the skills that it brings with it and on account of its behavior in a foreign country and that is something that is very welcome to the German ecosystem. The natural complementarities, therefore, between our economies necessitate the kind of focus that you are seeing on this particular issue related to skilled manpower. We therefore welcome Germany's strategy focused on India towards easing the mobility pathway for skilled Indian workforce to go to Germany and we will be cooperating with Germany on taking this forward.

The documents that were signed today which complement the migration and mobility partnership agreement signed earlier will contribute to the bilateral framework in this regard. I would also invite your attention again to what I said in my opening comments as well which is the skilled manpower strategy related to India which the German side released in advance of the visit. That in itself signifies the importance that this particular issue has between the two countries.

There was a question on visas. Yes, we do certainly expect that the issue of visas will be eased.

Hamari aasha hain ki, kyuki yahan se jane ke liye logon ko visas chahiye, toh iske bare mei hamari batchit bhi chal rahi hain Germany ke sath aur mujhe aasha hain ki woh apna jo unka consular issues ka jo kaam hoga usko woh unki jo presence hain India mei woh usko badhayenge taki ye jo extra demand hain usko woh meet kar sake.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] We hope that, since people need visas to go from here, discussions are ongoing with Germany on this matter. I am hopeful that Germany will increase its consular presence in India to handle their consular responsibilities and meet this additional demand.

I think the question on migration and mobility I have already addressed.

On agriculture, yes, as I said there is a project that was agreed on during these discussions on millets which India will be pursuing. I think it is in Madagascar and in Ethiopia. So, there is an agreement on that particular issue.

Haan Indo-Pacific pe discussion hua aur donon leaders ne is baat par jor diya ki Indo-Pacific mei jo bhi jaisi bhi cooperation ho usko woh aage badhaye. Pradhan Mantri ji ne kaha ki jo Germany ke Indo-Pacific ki taraf jo jahaj hain, unke nausena ke jahaj jab bhi woh wahan jate hain unhain agar wahan jate hue aur wahan se aate hue kisi bhi sahayata ki jarurat ho, woh chahe maintenance ko le ke ho, repair ko le ke ho aur overhaul ko le kar ho, toh bhartiya shipyard usmei unki madat kar sakte hain. Jaisa hum kuch aur videshi nausenaon ke liye pahle se hi kar rahe hain. Lekin isse adhik ye mahatvapurna ye baat hain ki donon leaders ne is baat pe bal diya ki Indo-Pacific ko ek rules ke basis pe chalna chahiye, aur jo bhi wahan par vivad ho unko ek jo international law hain aur international law, UN conventional on law of the sea hain uske tahat un chizon ka solution nikalna chahiye. Aur Indo-Pacific pe bharat aur Germany ki cooperation aur dialouge aage bhi jari rahega.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Yes, there was a discussion on the Indo-Pacific, and both leaders emphasized the need to further advance cooperation in the region. The Prime Minister stated that whenever German naval ships are deployed in the Indo-Pacific, if they require assistance during transit or upon return—whether for maintenance, repairs, or overhauls—Indian shipyards could assist them, as we already do for some other foreign navies.

More importantly, both leaders stressed that the Indo-Pacific should be governed by rules, and any disputes in the region should be resolved under international law, specifically the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. India and Germany's cooperation and dialogue on the Indo-Pacific will continue moving forward.

Ashok Gehlot: Ashok hoon main Zee News se. Mera sawal migrants labour ko lekar hain, uspe hindi mei aap bata de please.

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] I'm Ashok from Zee News. My question is regarding migrant labor. Could you please explain it in Hindi?

Keshav Padmanabhan: Good evening, Foreign Secretary, Keshav from ThePrint. My question is a follow up to the FTA. The German Vice Chancellor made a suggestion that they are looking at a short-cut FTA. Maybe the EU needs to relook this comprehensive approach. So, was something along those lines discussed to test waters?

My follow up on this triangular cooperation is that this comes from the GSDP which Germany promised 10 billion euros in 2022. Has there been any idea of the financial pledge from that for this sort of triangular cooperation in Africa or will it continue to be small, quick impact projects? Thank you, sir.

Kallol Bhattacherjee: This is Kallol from the Hindu. The Prime Minister spoke about peace initiative during the BRICS speech and the India-German discussions are happening right after BRICS. So, I want to know if the Ukraine situation featured in the talks and if there was India-Germany exchange on how to build peace in the context that this is happening right after the Indian Prime Minister himself spoke about peace.

Kunal: Foreign Secretary, this is Kunal Dutt from PTI. Kallol sort of stole my question, but I just add on to that, that this summit, this meeting is happening right after BRICS summit and both the Prime Minister and the external affairs Minister have stressed more than enough on the need for peace and dialogue and diplomacy going forward. So, how much of that figured in the talks both for West Asia and the Ukraine and particularly India's role as a peacemaker?

And the second one is a very small question that the LO being decided to be appointed in the IFC-IOR in Gurgaon from Germany, a G7 nation now being there, do you think the positioning of that will further strengthen the Indo-Pacific vision of India? Thank you, sir.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Okay. Toh migration ke mudde pe ye kehna chahunga ki abhi Germany mei is samay bhartiya mool ke kareeb dhai lakh log hain, professionals, skilled workers, students ko mila ke. Aur ye jo dhai lakh ki ginti hain ye pichle char paanch saal mei dugni hui hain, toh isse aap andaza laga sakte hain ki kitni tezi se jo bharat aur Germany ke beech mei migration aur mobility partnership agreement hua hain usko kaam mei liya ja raha hain.

Dusri chiz ye kehna chahunga ki Germany mei kafi mang hain bhartiya talent ki liye, aur bhartiya professionals ke liye, aur ye na sirf is wajah se hain ki hamare pass talent hain, lekin is karan se bhi hain ki bhartiya nagrikon ko ek tarah se ek model emmigrant community ke roop mei Germany mei dekha jata hain, toh ye ek acchi baat hain aur hamari aasha hain ki ye jo hamare bhartiya mool ke nagrik jinki sankhya badh rahi hain woh aage aane wale salon mei aur badhe aur ye ek tarah se bharat aur Germany donon deshon ke beech ek bahot hi majboot pool ke roop mei karya karain.

Maine ye bhi bataya ki is visit se kuch hi din pahle, Germany ne ek dedicated ranneeti ke roop mei ek report ko launch kiya tha, aap us report ke bare mei padh sakte hain, woh publically available hain, toh ye ye bhi darshata hain ki is vishay pe, is vishay ko le ke Germany mei kitni ruchi hain aur woh ise kitna mahavtapurna samjhate hain, aage aane wale jo unke aarthik dristhi se unke jo bhi plans hain, aage development jo bhi woh karna chahte hain usmei mobility ka kitna role hain aur skilled professionals ki kitna role hain, ye ye bhi darshata hain.

Aaj bhi kuch samzaouton pe hastakshar hue hain jo in chizon ko aur badhawa denge.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Okay. On the issue of migration, I would like to say that there are currently about 250,000 people of Indian origin in Germany, including professionals, skilled workers, and students. This figure of 250,000 has doubled over the past four to five years, which gives an idea of how effectively the migration and mobility partnership agreement between India and Germany is being utilized.

The second point I'd like to make is that there is significant demand in Germany for Indian talent and professionals. This is not only because we have talent but also because Indian citizens are viewed as a model immigrant community in Germany, which is a positive thing. We hope that the number of people of Indian origin will continue to grow in the coming years and act as a strong bridge between India and Germany.

I also mentioned that just a few days before this visit, Germany launched a report as part of a dedicated strategy. You can read about this report; it is publicly available. This also reflects the strong interest Germany has in this matter and how important they consider it for their future economic plans and development goals, highlighting the role of mobility and skilled professionals.

Today, agreements were also signed that will further promote these areas.

On the FTA, today's discussions as far as I can recall were about the generic issue of the need to energize the FTA discussions which as you know have been going on for the better part of nearly two decades now and the fact that not just the members of Chancellor Scholz's delegation but senior members of the German business delegation including the senior members of the CEO's forum from the German side referred to this shows that there is a certain amount of critical mass for taking these discussions forward. I would not want to characterize immediately what kind of FTA we will emerge with that is subject to negotiations between the two sides but on the principle I did not find that there was any disagreement at all or any second thoughts about the need to take this forward. This was something that came through very clearly from the German side during our discussions today.

You had a question about financial pledges on triangular cooperation. Look, triangular cooperation is broadly a part of the green and sustainable development partnership but it is a separate scheme by itself. Under the GSDP, Germany has pledged 10 billion dollars in outlays up till 2030. Thus far, the outgo on that is already 3.2 billion dollars but triangular partnerships are a separate issue under which as I said there are three pilot projects that were undertaken and this time now there has been an agreement on undertaking a larger project on millets in Madagascar and Ethiopia.

Kallol and Kunal, I think both your questions were about the discussions related to regional issues especially in the aftermath of Prime Minister's visit to BRICS and discussions related to Ukraine and West Asia. Yes, I can that both issues did come up and they did come up in considerable detail between the two leaders. The Prime Minister shared with the Chancellor his impressions from his meetings and interactions in recent months with leaders from both Russia and Ukraine and the steps that India has been taking in pursuing conversations on all sides of the conflict and some of the ideas that different actors have been talking about and how India remains on the side of peace. We are not neutral in this conflict, we are on the side of peace and that we stand ready to assist any initiative towards peace benefiting or leveraging the ability that we have of being able to engage with all sides on this conflict.

On West Asia, both sides expressed concern at the developments there and expressed the hope that the already serious conflict which has caused a lot of damage and casualties and destruction does not expand further and does not bring more actors into its ambit and that parties concerned can find a path back through dialogue and diplomacy and reach an agreement on the issues there.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: We will take last question from our German friend.

Laura : [Inaudible] Thank you for the opportunity. I want to ask did the two leaders discuss the subject of China and its increasing presence in the Indo-Pacific and if so, was it also discussed in the context of Germany's very close business relations with Beijing?

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: The two leaders discussed the situation in the Indo-Pacific. As I said in response to an earlier question as well, India made its position clear on its stance in favor of a peaceful, free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and for the need for international law to be respected in the Indo-Pacific, in this case the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Both countries committed to intensifying their engagement in so far as business, industry and technology supply chains were concerned given the fact that these had come under stress in recent years due to different reasons and the German Chancellor, I think he also mentioned this in his remarks at the APK that in the interests of diversification and de-risking, it was important for India and Germany to work together.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: With thank we come to the close of this session. Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen. Thank you sir for being with us.