From Concerns to Agreements Signed: All You Need to Know about PM Modi-German Chancellor Scholz Meet in Berlin

Apart from the humanitarian crisis as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed serious concern about the situation in Afghanistan – the resurgence of violence, including targeted terrorist attacks, systemic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and hampered access of girls and women to education – as he met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Monday for the sixth round of Inter-Governmental Consultations.

Modi arrived in Berlin on Monday morning on the first leg of his three-nation Europe trip that will also take him to Denmark and France.

This was Prime Minister Modi’s first meeting with Scholz as German Chancellor, who assumed office in December 2021.

Key highlights of the Inter-Governmental Consultations:

UKRAINE AND AFGHANISTAN: Germany and India unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine. They repeated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states. On Afghanistan, both the sides reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable country.

NSG: As long-standing members of the “Group of Four”, the two Governments are committed to intensify their efforts to spur on an overdue reform of the UN Security Council in order to make it fit for this purpose and reflective of contemporary realities. Both the Governments underlined their support for each other in relevant elections. Germany reiterated its steadfast support for India’s early entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

INDO-PACIFIC: Both the sides stressed the significance of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, the centrality of ASEAN. They acknowledged the Policy Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific of the German Federal Government, the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative enunciated by India. Both the sides underlined the importance of unimpeded commerce and freedom of navigation in accordance with International Law, notably the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, in all maritime domains, including in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea .

As an important milestone in Germany’s growing engagement with the Indo-Pacific region, both the sides welcomed the port call by the German Navy Frigate ‘Bayern’ in Mumbai in January 2022. Germany also agreed to welcome an Indian Naval ship on a friendly visit to a German port next year.

India and Germany welcome the deepening of the strategic cooperation between India and the EU, particularly after the India-EU Leaders’ Meeting in Porto in May 2021 and agreed to further strengthen it.

Both the sides the cooperation with regional organizations such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) as well as in multilateral fora such as the G20. In this respect, India and Germany look forward to close cooperation during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023. Germany welcomed the presentation of India’s G20 priorities and agreed to work together on strong G20 action in addressing common global challenges.

Both the sides acknowledged the close cooperation between the G7 and India during the current German G7 Presidency, including on just energy transition.

TERRORISM: The leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including any use of terrorist proxies and cross-border terrorism. They called upon all countries to work towards rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and financing in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law.

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CLASSIFIED INFO: With a view to deepening the security cooperation, both the sides agreed to begin negotiations on an Agreement on the exchange of classified information.

GREEN GROWTH: They underlined their firm commitment to the objective of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and bolstering a just transition towards renewable energies.

Both the sides agreed to:

i. Develop an Indo-German Green Hydrogen Roadmap based on the inputs by the Indo-German Green Hydrogen Task Forcesupported by the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF).

ii. Establish an Indo-German Renewable Energy Partnership focusing on innovative solar energy and other renewables, including the associated challenges for electricity grids, storage and market design to facilitate a just energy transition. Germany expressed its intention to provide financial and technical cooperation, including concessional loans of up to 1 billion EUR from 2020 to 2025 depending on high quality project preparation and the availability of funds.

iii. Establish a lighthouse cooperation on “Agroecology and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources” to benefit the rural population and small-scale farmers in India in terms of income, food security, climate resilience, improved soil, biodiversity, forest restoration and water availability and to promote Indian experience globally. Germany expressed its intention to provide financial and technical cooperation, including concessional loans of up to 300 million EUR until 2025 depending on high quality project preparation and the availability of funds.

iv. Further examine collaboration on Green Energy Corridors, eg the Leh-Haryana transmission line and the project of a carbon neutral Ladakh.

v. Deepen cooperation in restoring forest landscapes under the Bonn Challenge as an important measure to fight poverty, preserve and restore biodiversity and prevent and attenuate climate change, acknowledging also the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 as a framework for intensified political partnership and dialogue and accelerated action to increase the area of ​​healthy ecosystems and end their loss, fragmentation and degradation.

They also welcomed the progress of the existing initiatives.

COOPERATION: Both the sides agreed to deepen collaboration and support in the seed sector, solar energy, risk finance and insurance solutions against climate and disaster risks, public-private partnerships for innovation and investments in SDGs and climate goals and to build back sustainable labor markets.

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WTO: Germany and India highlighted the importance of the WTO as the center of the multilateral trading system and central pillar of integrating developing countries into the global trading system.

trade: Both the sides expressed their strong support for the upcoming negotiations between the European Union and India on a Free Trade Agreement, an Investment Protection Agreement and an Agreement on Geographical Indications. Germany and India stressed the importance of implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises as an essential part of a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery.

RAILWAYS: Building on the Joint Declaration of Intent signed in 2019 between the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and the Indian Ministry of Railways on future cooperation in railways, both the sides underlined their continued interest in cooperating further in high speed and energy efficient technologies in support of Indian Railways’ ambition to turn net zero by 2030.

EXCHANGE: Both the Governments welcomed active people-to-people exchanges, including among students, academia and professional work force.

migration: The Governments welcomed the finalization of the negotiations on the bilateral agreement between Germany and India on a comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership as documented by today’s initialling of the draft agreement in the English language. They welcomed the signing of the placement agreement by the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) and the State of Kerala regarding the migration of skilled health and care workers.

COVID Response: Recognizing that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to present a critical test to prove the resilience of open societies and multilateral cooperation and that it requires a multilateral response, the Governments agreed to cooperate in ensuring security of medical supply chains, strengthening global preparedness for health emergencies and reducing future zoonotic risks, taking a One-Health-Approach. Both the sides welcomed the collaboration between the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) of India and Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) of Germany in providing technical support for the establishment of Bio-safety level IV laboratory (BSL-4) in Banda , UP for testing of highly pathogenic organisms. The Governments expressed their intent to strengthen the cooperation in the field of medical products regulation by signing a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of the Republic of India , and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices of the Federal Republic of Germany (BfArM) and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut of the Federal Republic Germany (PEI).

AGREEMENTS SIGNED: JDI on Green and Sustainable Development Partnership, on the implementation of Triangular Development Cooperation projects in Third Countries, the establishment of an agreement on the exchange and mutual protection of classified information and on the establishment of an agreement to establish a direct encrypted connection between MEA and German Foreign Office, Indo-German Development Cooperation Regarding Renewable Energy Partnership, Initialing of the Agreement on a Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership, continuation of cooperation in the field of advanced training of corporate executives and junior executives from India, Indo-German Green Hydrogen Task Force, Agroecology and Forest Landscape Restoration.

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