• By Kamal Kumar
  • Fri, 25 Oct 2024 01:48 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in New Delhi for a two-day state visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC). Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai received Chancellor Scholz, who landed in Delhi late on Thursday night.

Before he headed to jointly launch the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024, Scholz met Prime Minister Modi at his official residence 7 Lok Kalyan Marg on Friday morning. The German chancellor also shared a photo of him walking with PM Modi, calling India and Germany "allies and close friends".

"In this world, we need friends and allies – just like India and Germany. Dear @narendramodi, thank you for your warm welcome in New Delhi!" he wrote on the social media website X.

PM Modi, Scholz Inaugurates German Business Conference

PM Modi and German Chancellor Scholz jointly inaugurated the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024 on Friday. The event, which gathers around 650 business leaders and CEOs from Germany, India, and other nations, aims to bolster trade and investment relations between Germany and the Indo-Pacific region, reported news agency IANS.

"The organisers of this year's Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business probably didn't foresee the decisions by the Royal Swedish Academy. But by inviting us to India, you have the right instinct. Today, we are meeting in the world's biggest democracy, the fastest-growing major economy in the world with the most rapidly expanding renewable energy sector of any major economy, a country at the heart of the world's most dynamic region - the Asia Pacific. In a nutshell, the Asia-Pacific Conference has come to the right place at the right time," Scholz said in the opening remarks of his speech.

Both Leaders Discuss Wide-Ranging Issues

During the meeting at PM's residence, both leaders discussed an array of issues, MEA said on Friday.

"Both leaders agreed to maintain the renewed momentum in 🇮🇳-🇩🇪 ties and discussed key global issues of interest. They also discussed further avenues for cooperation in the fields of economy, investment and manufacturing, technology and innovation, security and defence as well as mobility of talent," MEA posted on X.