Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wants to further intensify cooperation with India in view of the Russian war against Ukraine and the increasingly aggressive behavior of China. The focus of their talks would be "the most urgent tasks of our time - containing the climate crisis and maintaining our rules-based international order," said the Green politician before leaving for a two-day inaugural visit to the world's most populous democracy.
Baerbock announced that she would also sign a mobility agreement in the capital, New Delhi, "that will make it easier for our people to study, do research and work in the other country."
Nuclear power India took over the presidency of the G20 group of leading industrialized and emerging countries on Thursday. The country with around 1.4 billion inhabitants does not support Western sanctions against Russia. It abstained from United Nations resolutions on the war in Ukraine.
"Role model and bridge builder for many countries"
Baerbock nevertheless acknowledged India's achievements and described the country as Germany's natural partner. "India's willingness to contribute its weight globally was shown most recently at the G20 summit in Bali. Ultimately, it is also thanks to India that the G20 took a clearer stance against the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine," emphasized the minister. "As an emerging economic power and a well-established democracy, India - despite all the internal social challenges - is both a role model and a bridge builder for many countries in the world," she added.
India and Germany have been linked by a strategic partnership since 2000. Since 2011, the Indo-German government consultations have been held alternately in Germany and India every two years - most recently in Berlin at the beginning of May. The aim is to further intensify the diverse bilateral cooperation.
At the beginning of her first official trip to India, Baerbock wants to commemorate the Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi on Monday. It is customary to lay rose petals in a ceremony at the Gandhi Smriti memorial. This is where Gandhi was shot dead by a Hindu extremist in 1948. A meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is then planned.
