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At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz will pay an official visit to India from 24-26 October 2024 for the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC), a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.
Scholz visited India twice last year, for a bilateral State Visit in February 2023 and to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in September 2023, the statement said. On October 25, Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Scholz will co-chair the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations. Scholz will be accompanied by senior Ministers in his cabinet for the IGC consultations. The IGC is a whole-of-government framework under which Ministers from both sides hold discussions in their respective areas of responsibility and report on the outcome of their deliberations to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, the statement added. Both leaders will hold bilateral talks to discuss enhanced security and defence cooperation, greater opportunities for the mobility of talent, deeper economic cooperation, Green and Sustainable Development Partnership and collaboration in the area of emerging and strategic technologies. Discussions will also focus on important regional and global developments. Both leaders will also address the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024) being held in New Delhi on October 25. The APK, a biennial event for business leaders, executives, and political representatives from Germany and the countries in the Indo-Pacific, is expected to give a further fillip to trade and investment ties between our two countries. About 650 top business leaders and CEOs from Germany, India, and other countries are expected to participate in the event, the statement said. Chancellor Scholz will then travel to Goa, where the German naval frigate "Baden-Wuerttemberg" and combat support ship "Frankfurt am Main" will make a scheduled port call as part of Germany's Indo-Pacific deployment. India and Germany have a strategic partnership since 2000. Over the years, this partnership has deepened and diversified across various sectors. The two countries are celebrating 50 years of Science and Technology collaboration this year. As we enter the 25th year of strategic partnership, the visit of Chancellor Scholz will pave the way for further strengthening of our bilateral ties, the statement added. (ANI)
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