Germany wants better ties with India on defence, skilled labour: Ambassador

Germany's incoming government has outlined plans to deepen its partnership with India, particularly in the areas of defence and skilled labour migration, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann has said.

Ackermann highlighted that the coalition treaty agreed upon by the two parties forming the next German government explicitly references India multiple times.

"The most significant point is that this government wants to enhance cooperation with India and strengthen bilateral ties," Ackermann told PTI on Friday, adding that the incoming government specifically highlights defence and skilled labour migration as key areas of focus.

The new German government is yet to be officially sworn in, pending the election of a chancellor and the appointment of ministers in parliament over the coming two weeks. However, Ackermann expressed optimism about the trajectory of Indo-German relations under the new administration.

"We can expect the new German government to be very active and very committed to its India-Germany bilateral relationship," he said.

On defence cooperation, the ambassador noted the "growing intensification" of military ties between the two countries with focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

Ackermann emphasised the strengthening ties between the defence industries of both countries and reaffirmed Germany's commitment to the proposed submarine deal currently under review by the Indian government.

"The German government has made it very clear that we are very committed and very dedicated to this deal, and we will support it as much as we can," he said.

Germany has expressed keen interest in India's Project-75I programme, which involves the construction of six conventional submarines for the Indian Navy.

Following weeks of intense negotiations, Germany's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and centre-left SPD have reached a coalition agreement to form the next government. The coalition treaty will serve as the framework for governance  Ackermann also highlighted the global expansion of Indian private sector companies, which he believes presents new opportunities for bilateral economic collaboration.

"When your business goes global, it makes sense to seek agreements to keep tariffs low, and that's something that helps both Indian and German businesses," he said.

Germany ranks among India's top trading partners in the European Union. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, Indian exports to Germany totalled USD 10 billion, while imports from Germany reached USD 16.7 billion.