India counting on Germany's support to expedite EU FTA: Jaishankar

Welcoming Wadephul on his first visit to India, Jaishankar said that India and Germany share a strong history of multilateral cooperation

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India is counting on Germany to strengthen its relationship with the European Union (EU) and expedite Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions during a meeting with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in New Delhi.

 

Welcoming Wadephul on his first visit to India, Jaishankar said, "India and Germany share a strong history of multilateral cooperation, which I am confident will be further advanced through our talks today." The minister shared his opening remarks from the meeting on X.

Glad you could see our 'immense potential'

Wadephul is on a two-day visit to India and was in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Referring to Wadephul’s stop in Bengaluru, Jaishankar said, “I am glad you could see the immense potential of our people in technology. I also appreciate that you brought a strong business delegation and some members of parliament.”

 

He appreciated Wadephul’s decision to make India one of his first destinations outside Europe after the formation of Germany’s new government.

Jaishankar highlighted strong India-Germany ties

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar highlighted the milestones in India-Germany ties, saying the two countries share "25 years of strategic partnership, 50 years of scientific cooperation, nearly 60 years of a cultural agreement, and over a century of business interactions." 

 

The EAM added that he looks forward to an in-depth discussion on various aspects of bilateral cooperation. He also underlined the value of hearing Germany’s perspective on key global and regional issues.

Jaishankar visited Germany in May

During his visit to Germany in May, Jaishankar held talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Wadephul. He also engaged with Members of the German Parliament and foreign and security policy experts.

 

In his discussions with Wadephul earlier, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further expand collaboration in key strategic areas, including defence, digital technologies, AI, green and sustainable development and talent mobility.

 

They also exchanged perspectives on regional and global developments, reaffirming their countries’ shared position on combating terrorism without exception, upholding international law, and promoting a multipolar, rules-based international order.