PM Modi arrives in Berlin as part of Europe tour
PM Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in Berlin, Germany, the first stop on his three-day, three-nation tour to Europe. It also marks his first international tour in 2022. Apart from Germany, he will also visit Denmark and France in order to strengthen bilateral ties and hold several multilateral meetings as well. His tour is reportedly packed with 25 back-to-back high-level meetings, totaling 65 hours.
- Modi's Europe trip is significant in many ways as it comes amid a rift between Europe and India's long-time ally Russia over the Ukraine war.
- However, European countries will also seek to improve diplomatic ties and trade opportunities with India.
- Meanwhile, issues pertaining to post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovations, and global security are reportedly on PM Modi's agenda for meetings during the tour.
PM Modi has said that his Berlin visit will provide him an opportunity to hold extensive bilateral discussions with the new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. He will also co-chair the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC)—which allows for an early engagement with the new German government—to determine both nations' medium and long-term priorities. Notably, India and Germany celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2021.
Notably, PM Modi also stated that he will address a Business Roundtable jointly with Germany's Chancellor Scholz with the goal of strengthening the nations' industry-to-industry collaboration. This is also aimed at helping both countries bolster their post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
During his three-day Europe tour, Modi will hold bilateral and multilateral meetings with as many as eight world leaders from seven nations. Moreover, he is scheduled to interact with 50 international business leaders. The prime minister is also expected to interact with members of the Indian diaspora. He will be spending one night each in Germany and Denmark and two nights in flight.
In France, PM Modi will hold a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, who recently got re-elected to the top post. It will be Modi's fourth visit to India's "friendly companion" France since 2015. Notably, France was the only Western nation that didn't condemn India's nuclear tests in the 1990s. It had also backed India's bid for permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council.
Mette Frederiksen, Modi's Denmark counterpart, had also invited him to visit Copenhagen. Also, Modi is slated to participate in the crucial 2nd India-Nordic Summit, which Denmark will be hosting. The Denmark visit's bilateral segment will include meetings with Frederiksen and Queen Margrethe II, too. PM Modi is also expected to speak to members of the Indian diaspora and attend an India-Denmark Business Forum.
PM Modi is scheduled to meet several other Nordic leaders, including his counterparts from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, during the 2nd India-Nordic Summit. The Summit will focus on issues like economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, technological innovations, and global security challenges, among others Notably, the first India-Nordic Summit was held in Stockholm in 2018, which was also attended by Modi.
