Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on January 12 called India a desired partner and expressed willingness to elevate bilateral ties to a higher level. He stated that both nations share a fundamental interest in deepening the strategic partnership amid the geopolitical changes and upheavals in the world.
Addressing a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their talks in Ahmedabad on, Merz said, “Our two countries are seeking to intensify and deepen our cooperation. This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi has ascribed the following sentence: ‘Be the change which you hope for the world.’ We want to take heed of that together, dear Narendra Modi. We want to elevate the relations between India and Germany to an even higher and new level.”
Merz expressed gratitude to PM Modi for inviting him to his home state, calling it a sign of the very deep ties between our two countries, and also a testament to the friendship towards him. He mentioned that India and Germany are focusing on the principles of free trade and open markets as the world is witnessing a renaissance of protectionism. He expressed India and Germany’s opposition to big powers using supply chains and raw materials as instruments of power.
“We’re seeing a renaissance of protectionism. It’s directed against the principles of free trade and open markets, and countries like India and Germany have been focusing on the principles of free trade and open markets, and we continue to focus on these principles in future. We are experiencing that great powers, big powers, use supply chains and raw materials increasingly as instruments of power. Together, we want to oppose this. We reduce unilateral dependencies of our supply chains, and that makes both of our economies more resilient. India, as the fastest-growing economy of the G20, is a pivotal partner in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.