German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday paid a floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in Delhi. Merkel is in Delhi for the fifth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).
She was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Merkel will hold talks with Modi later in the day on various bilateral issues and nearly 20 agreements are expected to be signed between the two countries.
Main topics on the agenda of talks between India and Germany include skill development, climate, artificial intelligence, sustainable development, security and economy, sources told ANI. Talks on a possible free trade agreement with the European Union will also be discussed.
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During their meeting, Modi and Merkel will exchange views on regional and global matters of mutual interest. Both leaders will have a separate engagement with CEOs and business leaders of both countries, the MEA said in a statement.
The German Chancellor is expected to meet President Ram Nath Kovind during the visit. She will also visit Gandhi Smriti, interact with Indian Women leaders and address a business forum.
On Saturday, Merkel will pay a visit to Continental Automotive Components India Pvt Ltd facility in IMT Manesar in Gurgaon. She will visit a metro station in Dwarka area as well.
The two leaders have regularly interacted on the sidelines of multilateral meetings. In September, Merkel had met Modi on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In April last year, Modi made a brief stopover in Berlin and met Merkel after his visit to Sweden and Britain.
Germany is a leading trade and investment partner and India and Germany have established a strategic partnership that is characterised by a high degree of trust and mutual understanding.