External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held discussions with German Member of Parliament Jürgen Hardt on Tuesday, focusing on strengthening India-Germany bilateral relations and reviewing key global developments. In a post shared on social media platform X, Minister Jaishankar stated, “Always nice to catch up with German MP @juergenhardt. Discussed our bilateral cooperation and global developments.”
Germany continues to be one of India’s most significant partners in Europe, with a relationship anchored in shared democratic values and mutual strategic interests. Since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations in 1951, the partnership has grown in depth and scope. March 2021 marked 70 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations, underscoring a legacy of steady engagement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have played a pivotal role in deepening these ties through regular high-level exchanges. The two leaders have met six times over the past two years, including on the sidelines of major global summits.
Their most recent engagement occurred at the G7 Summit held in Apulia, Italy, in June 2024, where they reviewed ongoing collaborative efforts across multiple sectors. Prior to that, they met during the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023 and the G7 gathering in Hiroshima in May 2023. Chancellor Scholz also conducted a standalone State visit to India in February 2023, the first of its kind since the inception of the Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) mechanism. India and Germany convened their 6th IGC in Berlin in May 2022, co-chaired by Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Scholz. The summit resulted in a suite of agreements covering clean energy, public health, skill development, mobility, agroecology, and more. A landmark achievement of the summit was the Joint Declaration of Intent on the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP), a long-term framework aimed at aligning sustainable practices with developmental goals.
In a separate development, Minister Jaishankar also met with the outgoing Ambassador of Slovenia, Mateja Vodeb Ghosh, for a farewell interaction. Sharing a message on X, he wrote, “Pleased to receive Ambassador Mateja Vodeb Ghosh of Slovenia this evening for a farewell call. Appreciate her contributions towards building stronger ties. Wish her the best for future endeavours.” The External Affairs Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing India’s engagements with European nations, underscoring the importance of sustained dialogue in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.
