INDIA-GERMANY RELATIONS

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In News:  India’s consumption of Russian oil is just one-sixth of European consumption and should not be compared unfavourably, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in his talks with visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, defending the government’s decision to increase the intake of Russian oil since the war in Ukraine.

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• At the end of talks, India and Germany signed a comprehensive partnership on migration and mobility meant to ease travel for research, study and work for people in both countries.
• Jaishankar said it would be the “basis for a more contemporary partnership” to relations.
• The two sides said they held talks on bilateral issues, including Germany’s assistance to India on renewable energy and energy transitions, as well as international issues such as their Indo-Pacific strategy, and spoke about China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• However, the two governments did not appear to make any headway on the contentious issue of 22-month old “Baby Ariha”.
• Jaishankar said that he had also spoken about the challenge of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.
• Baerbock had clarified her remarks calling for a United Nations role in Jammu and Kashmir, human rights concerns and in mediating between India and Pakistan, telling in an interview that Germany believes India and Pakistan must resolve their issues bilaterally.

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Background of relations:

• India was amongst the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the Federal Republic of Germany after the Second World War.
• India and Germany have a 'Strategic Partnership' since 2001.
• India is amongst a select group of countries with which Germany has Intergovernmental Consultations dialogue mechanism.
• Regular visits take place from both sides, including at the highest level.
• There is an Indo-German Parliamentary Friendship Group, in German Bundestag since 1971.
• Some States and Cities of India and Germany have entered into twinning arrangements. Karnataka and Bavaria have Sister States arrangement since 2007. Mumbai and Stuttgart are sister cities since 1968. In January 2015, Maharashtra and BadenWurttemberg signed a MoU to establish a Sister State relationship.
• India-Germany Defence Cooperation Agreement (2006) provides a framework for bilateral defence cooperation.
• Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe. India was ranked 25th in Germany's global trade during 2018.
• Germany is the 7th largest foreign direct investor in India since April 2000. Germany's total FDI in India from April 2000 until March 2019 amounted to US$ 11.7 billion.
• A Fast-Track System for German companies has been operating in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) since March 2016. India and Germany signed a Joint Statement on April 1, 2019 to set up a Fast-Track system on the similar lines for Indian Companies in Germany.
• Indo-German Science & Technology cooperation started with the signing of the Intergovernmental S&T Cooperation Agreement in 1971 and 1974. There are more than 150 joint S&T research projects and 70 direct partnerships between Universities of both countries.
• India and Germany have a long tradition of academic and cultural exchange. Max Mueller was the first scholar of Indo-European languages to translate and publish the Upanishads and the Rigveda.
• There are about 1.5 lakh Indians and people of Indian origin (2017 figures) in Germany. The Indian diaspora mainly comprises of professionals, technocrats, businessmen/traders and nurses.

Germany:

• Germany is formally known as the Federal Republic of Germany.
• It is located in Central Europe.
• It is the 2nd most populous country in Europe after Russia.
• It is the most populous country in the European Union.
• Germany is located between the Baltic and North Sea in the north.
• Germany shares borders with;
  • The Alps in the South.
  • Denmark in the north.
  • Poland and the Czech Republic in the east.
  • Austria and Switzerland in the south.
  • France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands in the west.
• It is the 7th largest country in Europe.
• Most people follow Christianity.
• The official language is German.
• The capital is Berlin; it is also the largest city.
• Germany has the largest economy in Europe.
• It is the world's 4th-largest economy by nominal GDP and the 5th-largest by Purchasing power parities (PPPs).
• It is both the world's third-largest exporter and importer of goods.
• It is categorised as a developed country, it ranks very high on the Human Development Index.
• Areas of Rhine, Danube and Elbe are rich in natural resources including iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, etc.

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