EAM Jaishankar, Thuringia's Minister-President discuss India-Germany business cooperation
New Delhi, June 2
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a meeting with Minister-President of the German state of Thuringia Mario Voigt in New Delhi on Tuesday, discussing business opportunities and technology partnerships.
"Delighted to meet Minister-President Mario Voigt of Thuringia, Germany, and his delegation. His strong support for expanding India-Germany and India-European Union relationships is welcome. We had a good discussion on business opportunities and technology partnerships," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also held discussions with Mario Voigt and a high-level delegation at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday, focusing on expanding cooperation across key areas, including urban development, technology, governance and skill development.
During the meeting, both sides explored opportunities for collaboration in smart urban development, sustainable infrastructure, digital governance and innovation-driven public services.
The discussions also covered mobility solutions, water management, environmental technologies, education and skill development initiatives aimed at strengthening talent mobility between India and Germany.
Sharing details of the meeting on X, CM Gupta stated, "Had a productive interaction with Mr Mario Voigt, Minister-President of the German State of Thuringia, and the accompanying delegation. Discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation in: Smart urban development and sustainable infrastructure, Digital governance and innovation, Skill development and talent mobility, Mobility, water management and environmental technologies and Education and workforce development.
"Under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the India-Germany partnership continues to grow stronger across diverse sectors. Delhi is proud to contribute to this shared journey of innovation, sustainability and human development," she added.
Earlier in April, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, in Berlin and discussed deepening defence cooperation and tackling emerging geopolitical challenges.
The two ministers discussed bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, especially in the field of niche technologies. They also reaffirmed the commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence.
India and Germany also signed the Defence Industrial Roadmap and Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping.
"Delighted to meet Mr. Boris Pistorius, Federal Minister of Defence, Germany in Berlin. Exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including deepening our defence cooperation and tackling emerging geopolitical challenges. Witnessed signing of the Defence Industrial Roadmap and Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping," Singh posted on X.
Singh mentioned that the recent India-EU Security and Defence Partnership marks a significant step in deepening the collective engagement. The two ministers agreed to leverage this framework, bilaterally and in the wider European context for tangible outcomes that will strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-German strategic alignment.
"Raksha Mantri also underlined that in times of global uncertainties, India and Germany have provided much required stability and strength to the global economy. On the issue of terrorism, he stated that the menace in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned, unequivocally, without exception or justification," the Ministry of Defence stated.
Pistorius appreciated the institutionalisation of service-level staff talks and future bilateral military exercises. Rajnath Singh said that India is looking forward to the German Air Force's participation in the next edition of Exercise 'Tarang Shakti' which will be held in India later this year.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's encouraging that Delhi CM is actively engaging with German states. Smart urban development and sustainable infrastructure are exactly what our cities need. Hope these talks translate into real projects on the ground, not just MoUs.
As someone who works in German-Indian business collaboration, this is a positive step. Thuringia has strong expertise in renewable energy and automotive components. The talent mobility discussions are crucial - we need more exchange programs for engineers and technicians.
Defence industrial roadmap and UN peacekeeping cooperation - that's substantial! India's growing role in global security is being recognised. But I hope we ensure technology transfer and co-development, not just become a buyer. Make in India should be central to these partnerships.
Good to see this cooperation, but I wonder how much of this actually reaches common people. We hear about MoUs and meetings all the time. Would love to see more concrete results in areas like water management and education that directly impact citizens.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.