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Lauding India's economic progress, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said that it presents a great opportunity for Berlin to diversify its trade partners by associating with India and reducing its reliance on China.
Terming India as a "valuable partner" for Germany, Habeck emphasized India's potential as a trading partner due to its growing economy and "deeply rooted democracy." "India's economy is growing fast. It's good for Indian people. But it's also a chance for Germany to step in. We have the slogan diversification that is brought to our scene. Diversification means that we are searching for new trading partners, not always China. India might be the partner of choice due to this growing economy and also due to its deeply rooted democracy. So India is a valuable partner for us," Habeck told reporters on Saturday. Habeck was in India for the 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations, held on Friday. Sharing insights from his visit, the German Vice Chancellor mentioned that the German delegation, including businesses, government officials, and Chancellor Scholz, engaged in intensive discussions, demonstrating Germany's "real commitment" to India. He stated that both parties discussed geopolitical issues and made agreements in the fields of renewable energy and green hydrogen. Habeck highlighted that these meetings had fostered a better understanding between the two nations and created friendship and trust. "For the last three days, a large delegation of German businesses, including half of the German government and Chancellor Scholz, was here in New Delhi. We had intense talks that showed real commitment from Germany to India, and we were received with open arms. The hospitality in India was great," he said. "For the last three days a huge delegation of German business companies, including half of the German government, Chancellor Scholz, was here in New Delhi. We had intense talks that showed a real commitment from Germany to India, and we were received with open arms. The hospitality in India was great," Habeck added. Germany's Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Hubertus Heil, also reflected on the India-Germany relationship and said the two nations have "In talks with the Modi government, we not only had the impression that we had common interests and common values but also got in action," Heil told reporters. The German minister emphasised the need for skilled migration and stressed the need for skilled labour from India to secure Germany's future. He also highlighted that the number of Indian workers in Germany has doubled in the last four years and emphasized the need to expedite visa processes. "India has a very young population and Germany needs skilled migration to secure its future. It's a win-win situation if we organise it well in the interest of India, in the interest of Germany, and especially in the interest of skilled workers in some sectors of Germany," Heil said. "The number of workers from India has doubled in Germany in the last four years, and so we talked about how to speed up visa processes and we talked about integration. If we want to win skilled workers from India for Germany, we have to treat them honestly and respectfully," he added. German Chancellor Scholz is in India for a two-day state visit, marking his third visit to the country since he became Chancellor in 2021. Last year, Scholz made two visits to India: for a bilateral state visit in February and to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chaired the seventh round of India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (7th IGC) on Friday in the national capital.(ANI)
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