German Chancellor to arrive tomorrow for three-day trip

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be visiting India from October 4-6 for the third Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) between India and Germany.

The Chancellor will be accompanied by a large delegation, including several Cabinet Ministers and a high-profile business delegation, during her visit.

Though Chancellor Merkel will arrive in New Delhi on October4, she will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on October5, followed by a visit to Rajghat and official meetings between the two leaders and inter-governmental consultations between the two delegations. The Chancellor will also call upon by President Pranab Mukherjee.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also call on the Chancellor besides meeting German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Merkel will hold discussions on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including deepening bilateral engagement in defence, security, education, renewable energy, high technology manufacturing, skill development, science and technology, railways, water and waste management, urban development and agriculture. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of common concern.

Both the leaders will visit Bengaluru on October 6 to participate in a business event hosted by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) on 'Industry 4.0', and also visit the innovation and skilling centres at a German company Bosch.

India and Germany are strategic partners since 2001. Germany is India's largest trading partner in the European Union and the seventh largest foreign investor in India.

The third IGC will seek to build on Prime Minister Modi's successful visit to Germany in April 2015 to participate in the Hannover Messe, where India was a Partner Country.

This visit would be an opportunity for both the nations to consolidate stronger strategic, political and economic partnership between them.