New Delhi: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday (February 25, 2023) arrived in India and said that the two countries already have a "very good" relationship, which he looks to "strengthen" during his two-day visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Scholz at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the German leader was accorded a ceremonial welcome.


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"We already have a very good relationship between India and Germany. We hope that we will strengthen this very good relationship and that we will discuss intensely all the topics relevant for the development of our countries and also for the peace in the world," he said upon arrival in Delhi.




It is Scholz's first visit to India since he became the German chancellor in December 2021 following Angela Merkel's 16-year tenure at the top post.



People familiar with the broad agenda of the Modi-Scholz talks said that the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war are expected to figure prominently during the deliberations.


They also said that the talks will also focus on expanding cooperation in the areas of trade, defence, clean energy, climate change, and new technologies.


The two leaders are also likely to delve into the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has witnessed growing Chinese assertiveness in the last few years.


Earlier last year, Modi and Scholz held bilateral talks in the Indonesian resort city of Bali on the sidelines of the G20 summit.


The first meeting between the two leaders had taken place during Modi's visit to Berlin on May 2 last year for the sixth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).


It was followed by Modi's visit to the Alpine castle of Schloss Elmau in southern Germany on June 26 and 27 to attend the annual summit of the G7 grouping.


Scholz invited Modi to the G7 summit under the German presidency.


The ties between India and Germany have been on an upswing in a range of key areas in the last few years.