Made for each other: Delhi, Berlin get closer

Berlin: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday backed German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “strong leadership” in uniting the European Union at a time when the economic grouping is showing signs of strain over the UK’s decision to exit it and the protectionist stance adopted by US President Donald Trump.

Mr Modi, on a Berlin visit kicking off a four-nation Europe tour, pledged India’s commitment to democracy, a strong EU, Ms Merkel’s “vision” and added that failing to act on climate change would be “morally criminal”.

“We do not have the right to despoil the environment for future generations,” he said in Hindi, at a joint press conference with Mr Merkel.

Both sides signed agreements in fields from sustainable urban development to vocational jobs training, digital technology and railway safety and agreed on German development aid and investments worth around one billion euros ($1.1 billion) a year.

Responding to a question, Mr Modi said India and Germany were “made for each other”. He said the two countries share the values of innovation and democracy and these values were “a blessing for mankind”.

Standing beside Mr Modi, Ms Merkel said, “India with its 1.25 billion people is a partner... of highest importance” and that “to work together with such a diverse country” also offered opportunities for German businesses. Ms Modi and Ms Merkel also led a joint Cabinet meeting grouping foreign, economy, environment and other ministers in their fourth intergovernmental consultations — a format Germany has only with a few countries, also including China, Israel and France.

“India wants the world not just to be interconnected but also that it should be sensibly run,” Ms Merkel said, endorsing a trade deal in the works between India and the EU.

“EU unity, proactiveness and strong relations with other countries is extremely important for global development. We want the EU to become stronger and India will play a positive role towards that through the medium of Germany,” Mr Modi told reporters at a joint briefing with Ms Merkel, who hosts Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.

Germany is India’s largest trading partner in the EU and one of the leading sources of foreign direct investment into the country.

More than 1,600 German companies with over 400,000 employees operate on the subcontinent.

Two-way trade has more than tripled over the past decade to over 17 billion euros ($19 billion), of which German exports make up almost 10 billion euros.