New Delhi, February 25
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz began his two-day visit to India on Saturday with an aim to expand the overall bilateral ties and discuss the Ukraine conflict.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Scholz at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the German leader was accorded a ceremonial welcome.
In a tweet, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Scholz’s visit is an opportunity to further deepen the multifaceted India-Germany strategic partnership.
The German leader was received at the airport by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.
Modi and Scholz will hold wide-ranging talks at around 11.45am with a focus on boosting the bilateral ties in the areas of trade and investment, new technologies, clean energy and defence.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region are also expected to figure prominently in the deliberations.
It is 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 Ukraine conflict are expected to be discussed by the two leaders.
They said the talks would also focus on expanding cooperation in the areas of trade, defence, clean energy, climate change and new technologies.
