External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday said India reciprocates Germany’s call to double bilateral trade, highlighting the growing cooperation in defence, security, and technology between the two nations.
Speaking alongside his German counterpart Johann Wadephul at a joint press conference in New Delhi, Jaishankar noted that defence export processes had been streamlined and invited greater German investments in semiconductor manufacturing.
Wadephul, on a two-day visit to India, lauded New Delhi’s openness towards expanding economic ties and said Germany is committed to doubling bilateral trade, currently valued at 31 billion euros ($36.3 billion).
“I am glad that you are as optimistic about the prospects as I am,” Wadephul said.
This is the first visit by the German Foreign Minister to India since Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government took office earlier this year.
On the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Jaishankar said he was hopeful that another round of negotiations would be held soon.
“It is in our mutual benefit that we lower tariffs,” he said.
Wadephul said an agreement could be concluded in the coming months, adding: “If others put up trade barriers, then we should respond by lowering them.
Earlier, Jaishankar and Wadephul held a delegation-level meeting, where the External Affairs Minister pressed Germany’s support to speed up the FTA process with the EU.
“We count on your support to deepen our relationship with the European Union and expedite the FTA negotiations. India and Germany have a strong history of multilateral cooperation, which, I am confident, will be further advanced through our talks today,” Jaishankar said.
Highlighting the significance of India-Germany ties, he added, “We are also aware that this is one of your early visits outside Europe, and we appreciate your coming to India very much. We are marking 25 years of strategic partnership, 50 years of scientific cooperation, almost 60 years of cultural agreements, and, as you saw in Bangalore, more than a century of business interactions. I am glad that you had an opportunity during this visit to go to Bengaluru and see the immense potential of our cooperation in technology.”
On his part, Wadephul reaffirmed Germany’s support for the trade pact, saying his country would use its influence with the European Commission to push the deal forward.
“Germany is in full support of carrying this agreement forward as soon as possible. We are a free trade nation. The EU is working on the Agreement with India, and that’s the most important to us. I really hope that we can be successful. You can be assured that we will use all arguments we have with the Commission to put this forward and to reach a level between our countries and between the EU and India on this,” he said.
Wadephul also met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, where discussions focused on strengthening trade, investment, and innovation ties.
Goyal said the discussions focused on strengthening trade facilitation, regulatory frameworks, and market access. “We also explored avenues of collaboration in defence, space, innovation, and automobiles, underscoring the vast potential of our partnership,” he said in a post on X.
On Tuesday, Goyal had said that FTA negotiations with the EU were at an “advanced stage,” with senior officials engaged in active rounds in Brussels. Both sides have set a target of concluding the pact by the end of 2025.
(With inputs from agencies)