Bengaluru: German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann David Wadephul arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday morning, commencing a two-day official visit to India scheduled from September 2 to 3, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Wadephul’s itinerary includes a visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru before departing for Delhi later in the day.

On September 3, the German Foreign Minister is set to meet Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, followed by talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, after which he will return to Germany.

Ahead of his trip, Wadephul underscored India’s vital role as a strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region and internationally. In posts on X, he highlighted the strong political, economic, and cultural ties between Germany and India and called attention to the expanding scope of the bilateral strategic partnership, especially in security cooperation, innovation, technology, and skilled workforce recruitment.

“India is a key partner in the Indo-Pacific. Our relations are close - politically, economically, culturally. The expansion of our strategic partnership has much potential: from security cooperation to innovation & technology to recruiting skilled workers,” he stated.

Wadephul emphasised the importance of India’s global voice and its role as the world’s most populous country and largest democracy, emphasising the natural alliance between the two democracies against the backdrop of current geopolitical challenges. "India plays a decisive role in shaping the international order of our century. We as democracies are natural partners in this," he added, stressing the need to uphold a rules-based international order.

This visit comes shortly after EAM Jaishankar met German MP Jurgen Hardt in New Delhi, where the two discussed bilateral and global issues.

According to MEA, Germany is one of India's most valued partners in Europe. The two countries share a strong strategic partnership, which has grown steadily over the decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1951. In March 2021, both sides marked 70 years of diplomatic ties.

As one of India’s most valued partners in Europe, Germany shares a robust strategic partnership with India, marked by mechanisms like the Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC), which boost cooperation across various domains since their introduction in 2011.

With inputs from ANI