Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a 'wonderful meeting' with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed multiple aspects relating to bilateral cooperation as well as other global issues with her.
The Prime Minister met Merkel during a brief stopover in Berlin after wrapping up his visit to the UK where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders. It was the third and last leg of Modi’s three-nation tour to the UK, Sweden and Germany.
The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Germany cooperation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, adding that Modi’s visit “demonstrates India’s mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership“.
The visit demonstrates the commitment by the two countries to maintain the momentum of high level exchanges, according to Indian officials. It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Merkel began her fourth term as German chancellor last month.
Modi’s meeting with Merkel comes after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s trip to India last month, which focused on boosting economic and strategic ties between the two countries. Germany is India’s largest trade partner in the European Union bloc.
In 2016-17, the bilateral trade turnover was $18.76 billion, with India exporting goods worth $7.18 billion to Germany and importing German products worth $11.58 billion, according to German media.