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External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met with German MP Jurgen Hardt in New Delhi on Friday to discuss developments in West Asia, Ukraine, and the strategic alliance between the two countries.
Jasper Wieck, Germany’s new ambassador to India, also attended the conference. Hardt also serves as the foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag.
“A pleasure to meet Jurgen Hardt, Foreign Policy spokesperson, CDU-CSU. Our conversation covered recent developments pertaining to the Gulf, West Asia, Ukraine and the India-German Strategic Partnership,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X following the meeting.
Germany is one of India’s most important European trading partners. India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Germany following World War II in 1951. This year marks 75 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations.
The strategic partnership between India and Germany is based on the Agenda for the Indo-German Partnership in the 21st Century, which was adopted in May 2000 and updated by subsequent joint declarations, such as the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement of 2022, according to a German Federal Foreign Office statement.
On Thursday, Jasper Wieck stated that he wanted to serve as a “matchmaker, enabler, and catalyst” to elevate India-Germany relationship to new heights.
In a video posted on X, Wieck recalled his first visit to India when he was a student. He later served as the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy. He also spoke about meeting the Embassy team in New Delhi and described them as a “true engine” behind the operations carried out by the mission.
“For me, coming to India is like coming home. I am an old friend of India. I first came to India 35 years ago. I was still a student, immediately I felt thrilled by the country and its people. Many years later, together with Cordula, I returned to India as Deputy Head of the German Embassy. We have fond memories of these years. And here we are again. We have just arrived from Berlin. On my first day, I met with the entire Embassy team. They are the true engine behind our operations,” Wieck said in the video.
He stated that it is an honour for him to serve as Germany’s Ambassador to India and that the Indian diaspora is growing in Germany while the German investments are increasing in India.
“Once I have presented my credentials in the coming weeks, I want to serve as a matchmaker, as an enabler, and as a catalyst to bring the Indo-German friendship to a new level. We are building new bridges between our nations every day. The Indian diaspora in Germany is growing as the German investments in India. In these dynamic times, it’s a great honour to serve as the German Ambassador to India, together with the entire Embassy team and our four general consulates across the country,” said Wieck.
Source: IANS
