Evian (France): Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in France’s Evian on Wednesday, discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral engagements and expressed satisfaction at the renewed momentum in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership following Merz’s visit to India and the conclusion of the India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, earlier this year.
As India and Germany celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2026, PM Modi and Chancellor Merz reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation across various sectors, including trade and investment, defence and security, green and sustainable development, technology, innovation, education and mobility.
This was the second meeting between the two leaders this year and they welcomed the signing of the Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and the operationalisation of transit visa waiver for Indian nationals transiting through Germany.
Both leaders discussed regional and global developments of mutual interest, including the situation in West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They also welcomed the understanding reached to end the conflict in West Asia.
Chancellor Merz invited Prime Minister for the 8th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) scheduled to be held later this year in Germany.
Sharing more details on his meeting with the German Chancellor, PM Modi wrote on X: “The talks with Chancellor Merz were very fruitful. We discussed ways to further cement bilateral cooperation by working together in trade, investments, circular economy, defence, IT and more. We also talked about boosting cultural linkages between our nations.”
The G7 Summit is currently taking place under France’s Presidency in Evian. This year marks India’s 13th participation in the G7 and PM Modi’s seventh consecutive attendance at the summit.
In January, German Chancellor Merz was on an official visit to India at the invitation of PM Modi. This was Merz’s first official visit to India after assuming office
During the visit, Merz and PM Modi held a meeting in Gujarat, where they agreed to deepen cooperation in defence, space and other critical and emerging technologies.
(IANS)
