Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora in Berlin as chants of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai rent the air when he arrived on the first leg of his three-day visit to Europe on Monday.
PM Modi greeted members of the Indian community, who were awaiting his arrival at Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin. Many children along with their parents were present at the hotel, waving their hands at the Prime Minister's arrival.
The Prime Minister also interacted with a little girl who presented him with a portrait. In a spontaneous gesture he posed for a picture and also signed the portrait for her.
PM Modi expressed confidence that his visit will boost the friendship between India and Germany.
"Landed in Berlin. Today, I will be holding talks with Chancellor @OlafScholz, interacting with business leaders and addressing a community programme. I am confident this visit will boost the friendship between India and Germany," he tweeted.
During his visit to Germany, PM Modi will hold his first in-person meeting with the newly appointed Chancellor Olaf Scholz. PM Modi and Olaf Scholz will also co-chair the 6th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).
The 6th IGC will be followed by a high-level roundtable where PM Modi and Chancellor Scholz will interact with the top CEOs of Germany and India.
India and Germany share a 'Strategic Partnership' since 2001, which has been further strengthened with three rounds of Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC). The last IGC was co-chaired by PM Modi and German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel who visited India. The fifth round of IGC was held from October 31-November 1, 2019.
The consultations were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PM Modi's three-nation visit will have a substantial and comprehensive agenda during his bilateral and multilateral meetings.
PM Modi and Olaf Scholz will co-chair the 6th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). India has the IGC only with Germany, which is held every two years. The 6th IGC will be followed by a high-level roundtable in which PM Modi and Chancellor Scholz will interact with the top CEOs of both countries.
In his departure statement ahead of the three-nation visit, the Prime Minister said his visit to Berlin will be an opportunity to hold detailed bilateral discussions with Chancellor Scholz.
"I see this IGC as an early engagement with the new government in Germany, within six months of its formation, which will be helpful to identify our priorities for the medium and long term," he said.
India and Germany have had a 'Strategic Partnership' since 2001, which has been further strengthened with three rounds of Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC).
The last IGC was co-chaired by PM Modi and German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel who visited India. The fifth round of IGC was held from October 31-November 1, 2019.
The consultations were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Noting the long-standing commercial ties between India and Germany, the Prime Minister informed that he will also jointly address a business roundtable with the goal of energising industry to industry cooperation, which will help strengthen the post-Covid economic recovery in both the countries.
PM Modi's three-nation visit will have a substantial and comprehensive agenda during his bilateral and multilateral meetings.
PM Modi is also scheduled to visit Denmark on Tuesday to hold talks with leaders from Nordic countries, along with other high-level interactions, the visit will conclude with a stopover in Paris on Wednesday where the Prime Minister will meet the newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.
