By IANS
New Delhi : With a broader Asian vision on mind, German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes to India Monday on a visit that is set to invigorate political and economic ties between one of Asia’s fastest growing economies and Europe’s industrial powerhouse.
India and Germany will sign a slew of agreements in areas ranging from trade and technology to energy and defence during Merkel’s four-day visit – her first to India after she became German chancellor over two years ago.
Education and Research Minister Annette Schavan, top business honchos representing big brands in German finance and industry like Lufthansa and Siemens and influential figures in the world of science and technology will accompany Merkel.
With the stalling of the India-US civil nuclear deal due to domestic problems in India, the nuclear issue is not likely to figure prominently during bilateral talks.
Germany, an influential member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, is the next chair of the NSG. Berlin has indicated that it supports India’s quest for global civil nuclear integration, but would wait for it to complete its safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Merkel will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues including UN reforms, climate change, energy security, cooperation in the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations and promoting security in Afghanistan.
Several agreements in areas of science and technology, trade and economy and a pact on exchange of classified information in the defence sector will be signed after the talks between the two leaders.
With the Doha round of global trade negotiations entering a critical stage, Merkel, whose country is current president of the G8 club of most industrialised nations, is likely to seek India’s support in bringing the development round to an early and successful conclusion.
Ahead of her visit, Merkel said in Berlin that she wants to strengthen relations with India and other Asian nations based on shared values that include acceptable labour standards and the protection of intellectual property rights.
Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party is focussing on making Asia, home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies, a cornerstone of Germany’s foreign and security policy.
Germany has been very focussed on China for a long time, but is looking now at India’s growth story with new eyes.
“As Europeans, we have every opportunity, including in a country like India. We just have to get involved,” Merkel said recently.
India “is a dramatically growing country” with great economic potential, she said.
This broader Asian vision will be reflected in diverse ways during Merkel’s visit. The two countries will launch a special train called ‘Science Express’ showcasing German prowess in frontier areas of research. An Indo-German science centre will also be opened to develop a broad-based agenda for joint research projects.
More business with India will be the reigning mantra during the chancellor’s first trip to this country.
Merkel will address an Indo-German business forum organised by apex bodies of Indian commerce and industry here. She will also take time off to meet civil society, intellectuals, artistes and media persons to understand the new India with a fast-growing economy that has attracted unprecedented world attention.
Merkel will head Wednesday to India’s financial hub Mumbai where her focus will be on intensifying trade and business ties between the two countries. She will speak at a conference Nov 1 on urbanisation in developing countries, which will be organised by the Alfred Herrhausen Society and Deutsche Bank.
Bilateral trade between Germany and India has doubled to over $14 billion in the last three years. Germany is the seventh largest investor in India with a total inflow of $1.9 billion between 1991 and June 2007.
German firms are also eyeing a share of the over $500 billion that India plans to invest in infrastructure and other projects in the next five years.
Energy security is set to be a key area in burgeoning ties between the two countries with Germany more than willing to share its expertise in technologies on clean and renewable energy. A MoU on clean development mechanism project will also be signed.