Overshadowed by a flurry of summits including the BRICS Summit, CHOGHM meeting and Modi-Xi bilateral, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s consequential visit hardly received any attention. Accompanied by a huge delegation, Olaf Scholz arrived in New Delhi on October 24 for a three-day visit for the biannual 7^th India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC).  Other than IGIC, the trip had two other distinct elements.

For the first time in 12 years, Germany held the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK), a flagship event to promote economic relations between Germany and Asia-Pacific. Attended by PM Modi and Chancellor Scholz, the 18^th APK last conference witnessed the participation of 800 business delegates from various countries in the region. In the last leg of his trip, Scholz visited Goa where India and German navies held joint exercises and as part of Germany's Indo-Pacific deployment, two German ships, Frigate, Baden-Wurttemberg and a supply ship, Frankfurt am Main, made port calls in Goa.

 Ahead of Scholz’s scheduled visit, the German Foreign Office released a policy paper- Focus on India. The paper, a first of its kind released for any country by Germany, set the stage for the bilateral consultations. The policy paper was appreciative of India’s dynamic transformation and comprised five broad contours that also identified areas for cooperation. The five aspects of Focus on India included- India, a democratic partner of Germany for stability and security; strengthening the bilateral relations and strategic partnership; the EU’s relations with India; Cooperation with India in multilateral forums and Coordinating Germany’s policy of India.

Predicted to become the third-largest economy in the world, Germany lauded India’s success in tackling poverty. India’s growing international salience, its new role as “the voice of the Global South” and aspirations to play a significant role in shaping its international role are mentioned in the paper. Germany even acknowledges India’s stabilising effect in the conflict-prone Indo-Pacific region. India’s firm commitment to rule-based order and free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific aligns completely with Germany’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

The free and fair conduct of the 2024 elections marked by a better performance of the opposition parties besides annihilating the Western propaganda of backsliding of democracy has firmed up India’s credentials as a strong democracy. Besides, India’s ability to stave off Chinese incursions for over four years has cemented its stature as a strong and reliable security partner for Germany.

Indeed, Germany’s climbdown from issuing a deeply intrusive Foreign Office statement about Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in March ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to new policy directives that recommend- “an in-depth understanding of India and its political tradition, culture and history is an indispensable prerequisite” is rather surprising. Therefore, looking at the new willingness to strengthen the strategic partnership from a purely bilateral dimension would be churlish.

Since the Ukraine War, the West has been highly critical of India for increasing energy imports from Russia defying the sanctions regime. India was subjected to severe censure at various international forums. But India resolutely pursued its national interests and refrained from openly condemning Russia for the Ukraine war.

When confronted about its position on the Ukraine war, PM Modi emphatically stated, “India was never neutral in this war, we are on the side of peace”. Reasserting India’s commitment to the restoration of peace in Ukraine, PM Modi met Zelensky three times in three months which included his maiden visit to Ukraine. He also travelled to Russia and told Putin that “this is not an era of war” and pushed for “dialogue and diplomacy”. PM Modi indeed, offered to mediate the peace talks.

In one of the interviews, Zelensky hinted at holding the next round of peace talks in India. India’s position on the Ukraine war is not lost on Germany. The policy paper notes, that Germany “welcomes the Indian Government’s repeatedly expressed willingness to work to bring about a peaceful end to the war”.

Amid growing domestic opposition over the government’s support to the Ukraine War and the defeat of Scholz’s three-party coalition in State elections, Chancellor Scholz in an interview with Germany’s public television said, “I believe that now is the moment when we also need to discuss how we can get out of this situation of war faster than the current impression is”. Scholz is making a renewed push for a ‘swift peace’ in Ukraine. With poll predictions of US elections widely favouring the return of Trump, Germany is now rekindling diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war.

Trump stated multiple times that the Democratic party leadership have been “funding and arming a large-scale, open-ended war that does not benefit the US”. Germany is wary that with Trump at the helm of affairs in the US, the military aid and funding for Ukraine will be suspended. Subsequently, the burden of the war had to be borne by Europe and Germany, the largest economy of Europe. Considering India’s cordial ties and ease of connecting with the leaderships of Russia, the US and Ukraine, Germany believes India can play a significant role in resolving the Ukraine war through peaceful negotiations.

Germany views cooperation with India “as an opportunity to achieve its own objectives”. It has identified areas of mutual interest such as climate action, climate resilience, cybersecurity, reforms in the UN based on the text-based negotiations as a G4 member, advanced technology cooperation and combatting terrorism to expand dialogue and cooperation.

The motto of the 7^th IGC “Growing Together with Innovation, Mobility and Sustainability” aptly encapsulated the future directionality of the strategic partnership. Along with technology and innovation, climate action, green and sustainable development, expediting connectivity initiatives like IMEC through the EU, AI and quantum technologies, digital agriculture, Internet of Things (IoT), renewable energy, space technologies, defence and strategic cooperation received greater emphasis.

As a part of the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP) countries launched the Indo-German Green Hydrogen Roadmap, GSDP Dashboard and renewed the Joint Declaration of Intent on Urban Mobility. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Inter-Governmental Agreement on Cooperation in Scientific Research and Technological Development that institutionalised the framework of bilateral cooperation in Science & Technology, research and innovation. By prioritising innovation and technology, this has become a key pillar of cooperation.

To boost trade and economic cooperation, countries called for the early conclusion of the Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, Investment Protection Agreement and agreement on geographical indications.

India and Germany concluded the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters (MLAT) and the Agreement on the Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Information to deepen security cooperation.

Ramping up cooperation and coordination at regional levels, countries agreed to establish the India-Germany Dialogue on West Asia and North Africa (WANA) between the respective Foreign Ministries and launched Track 1.5 Dialogue on East Asia.  Along with Triangular Development Cooperation (TDC) in Cameroon, Malawi and Ghana and ongoing activities in Benin and Peru, countries have additionally launched millet projects in Madagascar and Ethiopia.

The year 2025 will mark 25 years of bilateral strategic partnership, deepening bilateral defence cooperations, countries expressed their intent to conclude a Memorandum of Arrangement regarding mutual logistics support and high-level exchange between the armed forces of India and Germany. Germany announced to permanently deploy a Liaison agent at the Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC- IOR) and welcomed India’s application for observer status in the Eurodrone Programme of OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation).

Ukraine war which led to snapping of energy ties with Russia has weakened Europe’s economy. Chinese deep in roots into automobiles is posing a stiff challenge to Europe’s automobile sector. At this juncture, India’s rapidly growing economy emerges as a promising pivot to Europe. India’s growing defence requirements especially, its quest for a partner for the P75I submarine deal involving the construction of six advanced submarines has opened up new vistas of opportunity for defence industries in Europe and Germany in particular.

Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is eager to secure the government to government deal with India. Additionally, Germany is seeking to help modernise the defence manufacturing sector and reduce reliance on Russia.

Countries signed MoU on disaster mitigation, in the field of occupational diseases, rehabilitation and vocational training of workers with disabilities, skill development, vocational education and training and museum cooperation. They declared the Joint Declaration of Intent in green mobility, science and technology, environmental science, health science, economy and commerce, labour and employment, education & research.

Increasingly Indian Diaspora are viewed as a model immigrant community in Germany. Berlin now looks up to the 2.5 lakh Indian community including the 50,000-strong Indian student community, the largest cohort of foreign students as a valuable bridge to connect with India. Germany, the growth engine of Europe is facing the challenge of an ageing population and a shortage of skilled labour. Germany is keen on partnering with India in mobilising the immigration of skilled workers.

In tune with the recommendation of the Federal Government’s Skilled Labour Strategy (2022), Germany has signed the Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement in 2023 to increase skilled immigration. Given the highly successful integration of Indian workers, to facilitate rapid migration, Germany announced to increase the visas for skilled Indians from 20,000 to 90,000 per year.

The Skilled Labour Strategy, 2024 policy paper released days ahead of Scholz's visit to India, termed this new outlook a “win-win-win” strategy for Germany, India and Indian skilled workers. Driven by geopolitical realities and economic opportunities, Germany is seeking to reset ties with India. Even though Germany hasn’t divorced from the “China First” policy and seeking to diversify its economic engagements, Berlin wants to be a strong security partner of India.  

Building on the strength of the values of democracy, freedom, respect for international order, and the Principles of the UN Charter, the two nations demonstrated a genuine willingness to cement the strategic partnership. With the volatile political environment in the US putting strain on the trans-Atlantic Alliance, Europe countries are recalibrating their strategic relations.

With Germany inclined to adopt its new strategic approach towards India, it must shed the one-sided perception and cultivate an appreciation for the dynamic functioning of the most populous democracy. Finally, this interests-based approach infused with trust and tempered appreciation of different identities and ideas can alone take the partnership forward.

References

1. https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/7th-igc-between-india-germany-to-be-co-chaired-by-pm-modi-and-german-chancellor-scholz20241024224000/
2. https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/38467/Joint_Statement_7th_IndiaGermany_InterGovernmental_Consultations_IGC
3. https://www.mea.gov.in/media-briefings.htm?dtl/38469/Transcript_of_Special_briefing_on_Official_visit_of_Chancellor_of_Germany_to_India_October_25_2024
4. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/blob/2680288/8909ac2c501ab85d55defff7d1b8b75d/241016-fokus-indien-data.pdf
5. https://www.bmas.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/a798e-skilled-labour-strategy-india.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1