The relationship between India and Germany is strengthening. A meeting took place in Delhi between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and German Foreign Minister, Johan David Wadephul. Both nations expressed their commitment to deepen their strategic partnership and collaborate on global issues. This visit is particularly significant as the German Foreign Minister is visiting India for the first time, representing one of his initial trips outside of Europe. He experienced India’s technology and innovation capabilities in Bengaluru, accompanied by a strong business delegation and parliamentarians.
Discussions focused on preparing for the upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations. India has expressed its expectation that Germany will facilitate the acceleration of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union. Additionally, they shared views on global and regional issues such as the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine conflict, and the situation in West Asia. Jaishankar highlighted the celebration of 25 years of strategic partnership, 50 years of scientific cooperation, 60 years of cultural agreements, and over a century of business relations between India and Germany, expressing confidence in the deepening of these collaborations in the future. Initiating the talks, Jaishankar stated, “We rely on your cooperation to deepen our relations with the European Union and to accelerate the negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).”
Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe. Bilateral trade reached nearly $26 billion in 2024-25. The two countries have long supported each other on multilateral platforms. Experts believe that the German Foreign Minister’s visit will provide new direction to the India-Germany relationship and prepare the ground for concrete progress on the FTA. The Inter-Governmental Consultations in the coming months will further strengthen these partnerships. German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul arrived in Bengaluru on a two-day official visit to India on Tuesday morning. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit will last from September 2 to September 3.