German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Gujarat on Monday for an official visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks Merz’s first official visit to India and is intended to further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two nations.
Upon his arrival at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, the German Chancellor was warmly received by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat. The Ministry of External Affairs welcomed Merz through a post on the social media platform X, stating, “India and Germany are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership. Chancellor Merz’s visit and his meeting with PM Narendra Modi later today will further strengthen the India-Germany partnership.”
Merz is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Modi in Ahmedabad. Following their discussions, both leaders will participate in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront. This cultural engagement will be followed by bilateral meetings at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, as outlined in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office statement, the two leaders will review the progress achieved in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which has recently completed 25 years. Their discussions will concentrate on enhancing cooperation across multiple areas, including trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility.
The agenda will also cover advancing collaboration in defence and security, science, innovation and research, green and sustainable development, and people-to-people ties. Additionally, the leaders will exchange views on important regional and global issues and interact with business and industry leaders from both India and Germany.
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In the lead-up to Chancellor Merz’s visit, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann met with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh last week. Their meeting focused on bilateral security and defence cooperation, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment.
The Directorate of Public Relations in the Ministry of Defence shared on X, “German Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann called on Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh today. The Ambassador conveyed New Year greetings on behalf of the German side. They also discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment.”
In November last year, Prime Minister Modi met Chancellor Merz on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa. During that interaction, PM Modi described India-Germany relations as strong and expanding across key sectors, including trade, technology and innovation. This upcoming visit in Gujarat builds on that momentum, highlighting the deepening strategic and cultural connections between the two countries.
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