Agency Report –
Bengaluru, India – German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is set to begin his inaugural visit to India on Tuesday, with economic issues high on the agenda as India grapples with steep new US tariffs on its goods.
The foreign minister kicks off his two-day trip in the southern city of Bengaluru, where economic prospects are likely to be the focus of attention, from research to skilled labour immigration.
On Wednesday, Wadephul is then scheduled to hold political talks in New Delhi, where relations with Russia and China are expected to be key topics.
A spokeswoman for the German Foreign Office said that India, as the world’s largest democracy, is an indispensable key partner for Germany and a driver of global innovation and growth.
India’s growth and innovation dynamics offer great potential for diversifying trade relations and supply chains, for technology cooperation and for recruiting well-trained skilled workers, she said.
Wadephul’s visit follows a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Chinese port city of Tianjin on Sunday and Monday, which both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended, along with 18 other leaders.
Founded 24 years ago to promote security cooperation and economic ties, the SCO positions itself as a counterbalance to Western alliances, including NATO, but it could also gain importance in terms of economic policy.
