External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and German Foreign Minister Johan David Wadephul held discussions in Delhi, focusing on strengthening the relationship between India and Germany. The talks covered ways to deepen their strategic partnership and address global issues collaboratively. The visit is particularly notable because it marks the first time the German Foreign Minister has visited India, and is one of his first trips outside of Europe. He toured Bengaluru to experience India’s technological and innovation capabilities, accompanied by a large business delegation and parliamentarians.
During the meeting, preparations for upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations were discussed. India hopes Germany will assist in expediting negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union. They also exchanged views on topics including the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine war, and developments in West Asia. Jaishankar highlighted the significance of the 25-year strategic partnership, 50 years of scientific collaboration, 60 years of cultural agreements, and over a century of business ties between India and Germany. He expressed his belief in the future growth of their cooperation. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said, “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. Both countries have a history of working together on multilateral platforms. Experts anticipate the German Foreign Minister’s visit will provide a new direction for the India-Germany relationship and contribute to solid progress on the FTA. The upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations are seen as a means to further solidify these partnerships. The German Foreign Minister, Johan Wadephul, began his two-day official visit to India in Bengaluru on Tuesday morning. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated the visit will continue from September 2 to September 3.