New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a whirlwind three-day visit starting May 2 to three European nations -- Germany, Denmark and France -- during which he will hold talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, participate in the second India-Nordic Summit hosted by Denmark and also later hold talks in Paris with newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron.
The visiting minister of state in the German foreign office, Mr Tobias Lindner, said on Wednesday that Germany was looking forward to talks with Mr Modi and his country would seek to “pull” India to convince it of the German and European line on the Ukraine war but “not push” New Delhi around. Condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue, Mr Lindner said it was an “enormous attack on the international rules-based order”.
The MEA said in a statement: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Germany, Denmark and France on 02-04 May 2022. This will be the Prime Minister’s first visit abroad in 2022. In Berlin, Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, and the two leaders will co-chair the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). The biennial IGC is a unique dialogue format that also sees participation of several ministers from both sides. This will be the Prime Minister’s first IGC with Chancellor Scholz, and also the first such government-to-government consultations of the new German government, which took office in December 2021. During his visit, the PM and Chancellor Scholz will also jointly address a Business Event. Prime Minister (Modi) will address and interact with the Indian community in Germany.”
On the second leg of the visit, the MEA said: “The PM will thereafter travel to Copenhagen on an official visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Denmark, Ms Mette Frederiksen. He will also participate in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit hosted by Denmark. ... During the 2nd India-Nordic Summit, the PM will interact with other Nordic leaders -- Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Iceland, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland. The summit will focus on subjects like post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovation and technology, renewable energy, the evolving global security scenario and India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region. The 1st India-Nordic Summit took place in 2018 in Stockholm.”
On the trip’s third and final leg, the MEA said: “On his return journey on 04 May 2022, the Prime Minister will briefly stop over in Paris and meet Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of France. India and France are celebrating 75 years of their diplomatic relations this year and the meeting between the two leaders will set a more ambitious agenda of the Strategic Partnership.”
