INDIA, GERMANY TO INK 20 DEALS DURING MERKEL VISIT
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a host of bilateral issues during her visit to India starting Thursday and nearly 20 agreements are expected to be signed between the two nations, sources said. They also said Merkel will be meeting with the Indian leadership, besides a business delegation.
Meanwhile, German envoy to India Walter J Lindner said the Modi and Merkel have a “very good relationship and they can talk about any issue. I do not want to anticipate what the two leaders will be talking about.”
He was responding to a question on whether the Kashmir issue will be discussed between them. Lindner said the position of Germany on Kashmir is consistent with that of the European Union which had asked India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue, seeking a peaceful and political solution, respectful of the interests of the Kashmiri population on both sides of the Line of Control. Merkel will be holding talks with Modi on a host of bilateral issues and nearly 20 agreements are expected to signed between the two countries, the sources said.
On the visit of European Union parliamentarians to Kashmir, Lindner said, “The EU has already said it is a private visit and that is our stand too. We didn’t have any idea that they are coming to India and I know as much as you do.” A delegation of 23 MPs from the European Union reached Srinagar on Tuesday for a two-day visit to assess the situation in the valley.
Elaborating on Merkel’s twoday visit to India, Lindner said the German chancellor would be landing in Delhi on Thursday evening and would be accompanied by a delegation from 12 ministries.