Published By : Admin |
November 22, 2024 | 22:50 IST
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Summit is an addition of a new chapter to the Indo-German Partnership: PM
Year 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the Indo-German Strategic Partnership, making it a historic year: PM
Germany's "Focus on India" document reflects the world recognising the strategic importance of India: PM
India has made significant strides, becoming a leading country in mobile and electronics manufacturing: PM
India is making rapid advancements in physical, social, and digital infrastructure: PM
Prime Minister calls for a partnership between India's dynamism and Germany's precision
Guten Abend!
Namaskar to all the attendees of the Stuttgart News9 Global Summit!
Minister Winfried, my colleague from the cabinet Jyotiraditya Scindia, and all the distinguished ladies and gentlemen present at this summit!
Today, a new chapter is being added to the Indo-German Partnership. India's TV-9 has organized this summit in collaboration with VfB Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg here in Germany. I am pleased that an Indian media group is making efforts to connect with Germany and its people in this age of information. This initiative will provide a platform for mutual understanding between the people of Bharat and Germany. I am also delighted that the English news channel News-9 is being launched.
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Friends,
The theme of this summit is "India-Germany: A Roadmap for Sustainable Growth." This theme symbolizes the responsible partnership between the two nations. Over the past two days, you have engaged in very positive discussions, not only on economic issues but also on topics related to sports and entertainment.
Friends,
Europe is a crucial strategic region for Bharat, both from the perspective of geopolitical relations and trade and investment. Germany is one of our most important partners. Indo-German Strategic Partnership marks 25 years in 2024, making this year a historic and special milestone for the partnership. Just last month, Chancellor Scholz visited Bharat for the third time. For the first time in 12 years, the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses was held in New Delhi. During this conference, Germany released the Focus on India document and the Skilled Labour Strategy for India. This is the first country-specific strategy developed by Germany.
Friends,
Although the India-Germany Strategic Partnership is 25 years old, our cultural and intellectual ties go back centuries. The first Sanskrit grammar book in Europe was authored by a German. Germany became the first European country to publish books in Tamil and Telugu, thanks to two German merchants. Today, approximately 300,000 Indians live in Germany. About 50,000 Indian students are enrolled in German universities, making them the largest group of foreign students here. Another aspect of Bharat-Germany relations is seen in Bharat. Over 1,800 German companies operate in Bharat, investing around $15 billion in the past three to four years. The bilateral trade between the two countries stands at about $34 billion, and I am confident this will grow in the coming years. This belief stems from the steadily strengthening partnership between Bharat and Germany in recent years.
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Friends,
Today, Bharat is the world's fastest-growing large economy. Every nation aspires to partner with Bharat for its growth. Germany's Focus on India document is a significant example of this. This document reflects how the entire world is acknowledging Bharat’s strategic importance. This change in perception is a result of Bharat’s mantra of Reform, Perform, Transform pursued over the past decade. Bharat has implemented new policies across all sectors to prepare for rapid 21st-century growth. We eliminated red tape, improved the ease of doing business, and reduced over 30,000 compliances. Bharat has strengthened the banking system to provide affordable and timely capital for development. We simplified the tax system with an efficient GST framework and created a progressive and stable policy-making environment to foster business growth. Today, Bharat has laid a solid foundation upon which the grand edifice of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) will be built, and Germany will remain a trusted partner in this journey.
Friends,
Manufacturing and engineering have been pivotal in Germany's development journey. Bharat, too, is moving towards becoming a major manufacturing hub globally. Manufacturers joining the ‘Make in India’ initiative are being incentivized with production-linked incentives. I'm pleased to share that our manufacturing landscape has transformed significantly. Today, Bharat is one of the leading nations in mobile and electronics manufacturing. Today, Bharat is the largest two-wheeler manufacturer, the second-largest in steel and cement, and the fourth-largest in four-wheelers. Bharat’s semiconductor industry is also poised to make its mark globally. This progress has been driven by consistent policies and new decisions focused on infrastructure improvement, logistics cost reduction, ease of doing business, and stable governance. A nation's rapid development requires investments in physical, social, and digital infrastructure, and Bharat is advancing on all these fronts. Today the world is seeing the impact of our investment and innovation on digital technology. Bharat is a country with the most unique digital public infrastructure in the world.
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Friends,
There are numerous German companies in Bharat today, and I invite them to expand their investments. I also extend an invitation to German companies yet to establish a base in Bharat. As I mentioned during the Asia-Pacific Conference of German companies in Delhi, this is the right time to partner with Bharat. Bharat’s dynamism combined with Germany's precision, Germany's engineering paired with Bharat’s innovation—this synergy should be our collective goal. As one of the world's ancient civilizations, we have always welcomed people from across the globe and made them part of its journey. I invite you to join us in building a prosperous future for the world.
Joint declaration on the implementation of the comprehensive partnership between the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of India
June 16, 2025
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A Historic Visit and Enduring Partnership
The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, warmly welcomed the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Shri Narendra Modi, for an official visit to Cyprus from 15 to 16 June 2025. Prime Minister Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus in over two decades, marks a historic milestone and reaffirms the deep and enduring friendship between the two nations. The visit celebrates not only a shared history, but a forward-looking partnership, rooted in a joint strategic vision and mutual trust and respect.
The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, regional, and global issues, underscoring the growing breadth and depth of cooperation between Cyprus and India. They welcomed recent progress in economic, technological, and people-to-people ties, reflective of the dynamic and evolving nature of the relationship.
Acknowledging the increasing alignment of their values, interests, international outlook and vision, both sides expressed their determination to further advance this partnership across key sectors.Cyprus and India committed to deepening their cooperation as trusted and indispensable partners contributing to regional and global peace, prosperity, and stability.
They agreed on the following joint declaration:
Shared Values and Global Commitments
The two leaders underscored their shared commitment to peace, democracy, the rule of law, effective multilateralism, and sustainable development. They reaffirmed their support for a rules-based international order, grounded in the UN Charter and international law, placing particular emphasis on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with regard to freedom of navigation and sovereign maritime rights.
The leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations. They held detailed discussions on international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. The two leaders also discussed the importance of upholding the global non-proliferation architecture, recognizing the value of India joining the Nuclear Suppliers group.
The leaders expressed their intention to strengthen coordination within international organizations, including within the United Nations and the Commonwealth, and agreed to work closely on implementing the 2024 Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, highlighting ocean governance as a pillar of global sustainability and resilience. In this context, the inaugural Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Meeting was held in April 2024 in Cyprus, also marked the establishment of the Blue Charter Centre of Excellence to advance sustainable ocean governance and strengthen capacity across Commonwealth member states.
Both Leaders discussed the need for reform of the United Nations Security Council, including ways to make it more effective, efficient, and representative of the contemporary geopolitical challenges. The two Leaders expressed support to forward movement in the Intergovernmental Negotiations on United Nations Security Council reform, and reiterated their commitment to make continuous efforts to move towards text-based negotiations. Cyprus reiterated its support for the enhancement of the representative character of the United Nations Security Council expansion with India as a permanent member in an expanded United Nations Security Council.
Both sides agreed to engage in close co-operation and support each other at the United Nations including supporting each other’s candidacies to multilateral forums.
Political Dialogue
The two sides agreed to hold regular political dialogue and to utilize existing bilateral mechanisms, inter alia those between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus and the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, to streamline coordination and advance cooperation across various sectors. The above competent Ministries shall overview and monitor the implementation of the areas of cooperation included in the Action Plan that is to be prepared, in close coordination with the competent authorities of both countries.
Support for Sovereignty and Peace
Cyprus and India expressed their strong commitment to the resumption of UN-facilitated efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus Question on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, in accordance with the agreed UN framework and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
India reiterated its unwavering and consistent support for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity of the Republic of Cyprus. In this regard, both sides emphasized the need to avoid unilateral actions as essential for creating a conducive environment for the resumption of meaningful negotiations.
Security, Defence, and Crisis Cooperation
Cyprus and India unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including international and cross-border terrorism, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to countering hybrid threats that undermine peace and stability.
Cyprus expressed solidarity and unwavering support to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. The two leaders strongly condemned the gruesome killing of civilians in the recent heinous terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, India. They reiterated their zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, rejecting any justification for such acts, under any circumstances. They emphasized that those responsible for the attacks should be held accountable.
The leaders urged all States to respect the sovereignty of other nations and condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. They called for the disruption of terrorism financing networks, elimination of safe havens, dismantling of terrorist infrastructure, and bringing perpetrators of terrorism to justice swiftly. Emphasizing the need for a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained approach to combatting terrorism across borders, they underscored the importance of working collaboratively, bilaterally and with the multilateral system.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening multilateral efforts to combat terrorism and called for the expeditious finalization and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework. They urged for concerted actions against all UN- and EU-designated terrorists and terrorist entities, associated proxy groups, facilitators, and sponsors, including terrorists under 1267 UNSC Sanctions Committee. They reiterated their strong commitment to continue taking active measures to disrupt terrorist financing channels including through the UN and Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Acknowledging emerging challenges within the international security environment, the leaders stressed the importance of enhancing strategic autonomy, defence readiness, and defence capabilities.
They agreed to deepen their defence and security cooperation, including through collaboration between their respective defence industries, with a special focus on cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
Recognizing both India and Cyprus as maritime nations with deep-rooted naval traditions, the leaders also discussed expanding cooperation to include the maritime domain. They will encourage more regular port calls by Indian naval vessels and explore opportunities for joint maritime training and exercises to enhance maritime domain awareness and regional security.
In that vein, and in light of ongoing global crises, both sides committed to strengthening cooperation in emergency preparedness and coordinated crisis response. Drawing on past successful efforts, the leaders agreed to institutionalize coordination in evacuation and Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.
Connectivity and Regional Cooperation
Cyprus and India share a strategic vision of serving as bridges between regions. Both leaders underscored the significance of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a transformative, multi-nodal initiative that fosters peace, economic integration, and sustainable development. Viewing IMEC as a catalyst for constructive regional cooperation, they reiterated their shared commitment to promoting stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East and emphasized the importance of fostering deeper engagement and corridors of interconnection from the Indian peninsula through the wider Middle East to Europe.
While recognizing Cyprus’ role as a gateway into Europe and, in this context, its prospect to serve as a regional hub for transshipment, storage, distribution, and logistics, they welcomed the prospect of Indian shipping companies establishing a presence in Cyprus, encouraging the advancement of maritime cooperation through joint ventures involving Cyprus-based and Indian maritime service providers as a means of further strengthening economic and logistical ties.
EU–India Strategic Engagement
Looking ahead to Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union in early 2026, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening EU–India relations. They recalled the milestone visit of the College of Commissioners to India, and expressed satisfaction on the launch of the first India-EU Strategic Dialogue and the progress already made in the priority areas identified during the visit including in trade, defence and security, maritime, connectivity, clean and green energy, and space.
Cyprus pledged to work towards the advancement of the EU-India strategic partnership during the Presidency. Both sides expressed readiness to support the conclusion of the EU–India Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year recognizing its significant economic and strategic potential. They also expressed their support for the ongoing work through the EU–India Trade and Technology Council and committed to sustaining a forward-looking agenda beyond the 2025 Strategic Roadmap to deepen this key global partnership.
Trade, Innovation, Technology and Economic Opportunity
Recognizing the growing strategic complementarity between Cyprus and India, the leaders committed to expanding economic ties through increased trade, investment, and collaboration in science, innovation, and research.
To advance cooperation, the two leaders noted they would welcome a Cypriot high-level delegation visiting India, including business representatives, as well as the organisation of a Cyprus–India Business Forum to promote investment opportunities. The two leaders also addressed the Cyprus–India Business Round Table on Advancing a Strategic Economic Partnership.
Both leaders agreed to promote collaboration in research, innovation, and technology, fostering stronger ties between startups, academic institutions, and industry, and supporting innovation exchanges in key sectors like artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and research, with a view of concluding a related MoU.
Mobility, Tourism, and People-to-people Ties
The two leaders recognized people-to-people ties as a strategic asset and multiplier for deepening economic and cultural ties. The two sides will work to finalise a Mobility Pilot Program Arrangement by the end of 2025.
Both sides emphasized the value of fostering mutual understanding through cultural and people-to-people ties. They agreed to explore opportunities for enhancing tourism and the establishment of direct air connectivity between Cyprus and India, as well as enhanced air routes via shared partners, to improve ease of travel and boost bilateral exchanges.
The Future: 2025-2029 Action Plan
This Joint Declaration reaffirms the strategic bond between Cyprus and India. Both leaders noted with satisfaction the progress in ongoing bilateral cooperation and expressed confidence that the partnership will continue to flourish, promoting peace, stability, and prosperity across their regions and beyond.
The leaders agreed that an Action Plan is to be prepared in order to guide bilateral relations between Cyprus and India for the next five years, under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus and the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India.
Summit is an addition of a new chapter to the Indo-German Partnership: PM
