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As he concludes his tenure in India, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann said that India-Germany relations have reached the "next level" over the past few years, citing significant progress in skilled migration, defence cooperation, sustainability and technology partnerships.
In an interview with ANI here on Wednesday, Ackermann described his tenure as one during which bilateral ties expanded into several new areas. "Indo-German relations have been excellent for years, but what we have seen in the last couple of years, last four years, five years, is that we really reached a next level," he said. Among the biggest achievements, the Ambassador highlighted the expansion of legal pathways for skilled Indian professionals to work in Germany. "We have seen so many Indians learning German in an area of nurses, caregivers, that have decided to go to Germany and are welcomed in Germany, got good jobs in Germany. But also apprentices for craftsmen. We have seen IT engineers moving to Germany and, above all, we have seen the number of students--Indian students going to Germany and study there--really exploding. We have now 60,000 students in Germany and that shows, you know, how interesting Germany is for Indians," he said. Ackermann also pointed to growing defence cooperation, saying collaboration between the armed forces had deepened while defence industrial ties had gained momentum. "The most visible thing is the submarines, which are very close to be ordered, so the signature will happen in the next month, I would say, maybe weeks," he said. The Ambassador also described the India-Germany Green and Sustainable Development Partnership as a "game changer", saying it had enabled cutting-edge projects in sustainability and reflected the increasingly broad nature of bilateral engagement. On the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, Ackermann called it a "milestone" and expressed confidence that it would be signed by the end of the year and implemented in the first half of next year. "Trading will be way easier than before. And I think that also will make investment way easier than before. India through the FTA will be an interesting location, an interesting country, an interesting area to invest in and to trade with than before. And that is also valid for the other direction," he said, noting that more than 2,000 German companies operate in India while nearly 1,000 Indian companies have invested in Germany. Looking ahead, Ackermann said India and Germany are steadily expanding cooperation in emerging technologies, including semiconductors, critical technologies and research, while identifying space cooperation as an area with immense future potential. "We were hugely impressed by what India is doing in space. I think we will intensify our cooperation there too," the ambassador said. Highlighting the importance of people-to-people ties, he said the growing Indian community in Germany has strengthened understanding between the two countries. "It is hugely important. You cannot underestimate how important people-to-people ties are," he said, while expressing hope that more German tourists would choose India as a travel destination. As he prepares to take up his next diplomatic assignment in China, Ackermann said his experience in India had prepared him well for serving in another large and diverse country. Asked to describe India in three words, he chose "curious, warm and ambitious". (ANI)
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