MODI-MERKEL TALKS COULD INCLUDE KASHMIR

20 MoUs to be inked

The situation in Kashmir and the visit of the EU parliamentary delegation to the valley "which is in their own capacity" are likely to feature during the bilateral talks between visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Germany wants that restrictions should be lifted as soon as possible in the valley, and its official position on Kashmir had been conveyed by EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini during her meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar last month.

India has been conveying to Germany and other EU nations through diplomatic sources on the situation in Kashmir, and the reason for revocation of Article 370, that gave special status to Kashmir.

Both Modi and Merkel have "close relations, and so any topic can come up. They can talk about any issue," said German diplomatic sources.

The visit of the EU parliamentary delegation to Kashmir and the invite to it by a virtually unknown group could feature in the talks between the two leaders. Around 20 agreements are likely to be inked between India and Germany during the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday. Merkel, who will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday as part of the fifth biennial Inter Governmental Consultations (IGC), will be accompanied by several ministers and 13 business leaders. The agreements are likely to be in the fields of agriculture, green urban mobility, Ayurveda, and Artificial intelligence, among others.

Merkel, who arrives late on Thursday, will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi on Friday along with her ministers in the IGC format, after which the two sides will ink several agreements, likely to be around 20, said German diplomatic sources.