German Chancellor Olaf Scholz begins 1st India trip, welcomed by PM Modi ahead of Ukraine, defence talks

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Delhi on 25 February for a two-day state trip to India. It is Scholz's first trip to India since he became Chancellor in December 2021, succeeding Angela Merkel.

The German leader was received at Rashtrapati Bhavan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Scholz also received a ceremonial welcome at the President's residence.

The European leader said that he and Modi would discuss topics related to "peace in the world", seen as an allusion to the Russia-Ukraine war which will reportedly feature prominently in the talks.

They said the talks will also focus on expanding cooperation in the areas of trade, defence, clean energy, climate change and new technologies. The two leaders are also expected to delve into the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has witnessed growing Chinese assertiveness in the last few years.

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Modi and Scholz held bilateral talks in the Indonesian resort city of Bali on November 16 last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit. The first meeting between the two leaders took place during Modi's visit to Berlin on May 2 last year for the sixth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).

(With PTI inputs)