{"id":4288,"date":"2023-02-25T13:08:51","date_gmt":"2023-02-25T13:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=4288"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:53:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:53:28","slug":"germanys-scholz-is-working-on-a-free-trade-deal-between-india-and-the-eu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/diplomatic-world\/germanys-scholz-is-working-on-a-free-trade-deal-between-india-and-the-eu\/2023\/02\/25\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany’s Scholz is working on a free trade deal between India and the EU"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW<\/span> DELHI\/BERLIN<\/span> (AFP)<\/span> –<\/span> German<\/span> Chancellor<\/span> Olaf<\/span> Scholz<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> and<\/span> Indian<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Narendra<\/span> Modi<\/span> were<\/span> determined<\/span> to<\/span> sign<\/span> a<\/span> free<\/span> trade<\/span> deal<\/span> between<\/span> India<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> European<\/span> Union.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“This<\/span> is<\/span> an<\/span> important<\/span> issue<\/span> and<\/span> I<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> personally<\/span> involved,”<\/span> Scholz<\/span> said<\/span> after<\/span> a<\/span> meeting<\/span> with<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Modi<\/span> in<\/span> New<\/span> Delhi.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> EU<\/span> and<\/span> India<\/span> resumed<\/span> negotiations<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> free<\/span> trade<\/span> agreement<\/span> last<\/span> year,<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> goal<\/span> of<\/span> completing<\/span> negotiations<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> end<\/span> of<\/span> 2023.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>For<\/span> the<\/span> EU,<\/span> a<\/span> free<\/span> trade<\/span> deal<\/span> with<\/span> India<\/span> would<\/span> fit<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> EU’s<\/span> strategy<\/span> of<\/span> increasing<\/span> engagement<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Indo-Pacific<\/span> region,<\/span> where<\/span> the<\/span> bloc<\/span> seeks<\/span> bilateral<\/span> agreements<\/span> to<\/span> benefit<\/span> from<\/span> higher<\/span> economic<\/span> growth<\/span> expected.<\/span>\u00a0The<\/span> deal<\/span> could<\/span> also<\/span> act<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> counterbalance<\/span> to<\/span> China’s<\/span> growing<\/span> influence<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> region.<\/span> Scholz<\/span> met<\/span> with<\/span> Modi<\/span> the<\/span> day<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> one-year<\/span> anniversary<\/span> of<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span> His<\/span> visit,<\/span> along<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> large<\/span> business<\/span> delegation,<\/span> underscored<\/span> Delhi’s<\/span> growing<\/span> importance<\/span> to<\/span> Western<\/span> countries<\/span> seeking<\/span> assistance<\/span> to<\/span> oppose<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Moscow.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“The<\/span> world<\/span> is<\/span> suffering<\/span> from<\/span> this<\/span> invasion…but<\/span> we<\/span> will<\/span> do<\/span> everything<\/span> to<\/span> keep<\/span> the<\/span> world<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> good<\/span> place,”<\/span> he<\/span> said,<\/span> adding<\/span> that<\/span> cooperation<\/span> between<\/span> India<\/span> and<\/span> Germany<\/span> was<\/span> “very<\/span> important.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Modi<\/span> has<\/span> tried<\/span> to<\/span> keep<\/span> his<\/span> ongoing<\/span> G20<\/span> meeting<\/span> away<\/span> from<\/span> discussing<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span> His<\/span> government<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> openly<\/span> criticized<\/span> Moscow<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> aggression,<\/span> instead<\/span> calling<\/span> for<\/span> dialogue<\/span> and<\/span> diplomacy<\/span> to<\/span> end<\/span> the<\/span> war.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>India<\/span> also<\/span> significantly<\/span> increased<\/span> its<\/span> oil<\/span> purchases<\/span> from<\/span> Russia,<\/span> its<\/span> largest<\/span> supplier<\/span> of<\/span> defense<\/span> equipment,<\/span> but<\/span> prices<\/span> fell.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Modi<\/span> said<\/span> India<\/span> and<\/span> Germany<\/span> were<\/span> determined<\/span> to<\/span> realize<\/span> untapped<\/span> potential<\/span> in<\/span> areas<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> security<\/span> and<\/span> defense<\/span> cooperation.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Scholz<\/span> will<\/span> also<\/span> push<\/span> hard<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> $5.2<\/span> billion<\/span> deal<\/span> to<\/span> sell<\/span> six<\/span> conventional<\/span> submarines<\/span> to<\/span> India,<\/span> but<\/span> this<\/span> latest<\/span> attempt<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Western<\/span> military<\/span> manufacturing<\/span> powerhouse<\/span> will<\/span> make<\/span> New<\/span> Delhi<\/span> a<\/span> military<\/span> force<\/span> to<\/span> Russia.<\/span> It<\/span> tries<\/span> to<\/span> wean<\/span> itself<\/span> off<\/span> the<\/span> hardware<\/span> dependency,<\/span> but<\/span> it’s<\/span> unlikely<\/span> to<\/span> lead<\/span> to<\/span> immediate<\/span> results.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Germany’s<\/span> close<\/span> economic<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> China,<\/span> its<\/span> main<\/span> purchaser<\/span> of<\/span> machine<\/span> tools,<\/span> and<\/span> Russia,<\/span> its<\/span> main<\/span> energy<\/span> supplier,<\/span> have<\/span> contributed<\/span> to<\/span> Germany’s<\/span> prosperity<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> 15<\/span> years.<\/span> Collaboration<\/span> is<\/span> especially<\/span> strong.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>While<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> stated<\/span> goals<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> lightning<\/span> trip<\/span> is<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> economic<\/span> ties,<\/span> officials<\/span> are<\/span> mindful<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> need<\/span> to<\/span> press<\/span> what<\/span> will<\/span> soon<\/span> be<\/span> the<\/span> world’s<\/span> most<\/span> populous<\/span> country<\/span> into<\/span> opposing<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> invasion,<\/span> even<\/span> if<\/span> a<\/span> severing<\/span> of<\/span> India’s<\/span> economic<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> Moscow<\/span> is<\/span> not<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> table.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“I’m<\/span> convinced<\/span> that<\/span> our<\/span> countries<\/span> are<\/span> closely<\/span> linked,<\/span> that<\/span> we<\/span> have<\/span> common<\/span> views,<\/span> especially<\/span> when<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> to<\/span> do<\/span> with<\/span> democracy,”<\/span> said<\/span> Scholz.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Many<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Global<\/span> South<\/span> see<\/span> Western<\/span> complaints<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> invasion<\/span> as<\/span> hypocrisy,<\/span> given<\/span> their<\/span> long<\/span> history<\/span> of<\/span> military<\/span> interventions<\/span> around<\/span> the<\/span> world,<\/span> and<\/span> fear<\/span> disrupted<\/span> supply<\/span> chains<\/span> and<\/span> inflation<\/span> will<\/span> cause<\/span> hunger<\/span> and<\/span> famine.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Scholz<\/span> last<\/span> met<\/span> Modi<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> June<\/span> summit<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Group<\/span> of<\/span> Seven<\/span> industrial<\/span> powers,<\/span> to<\/span> which<\/span> he<\/span> invited<\/span> the<\/span> Indian<\/span> leader<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> outreach<\/span> efforts<\/span> that<\/span> have<\/span> become<\/span> more<\/span> urgent<\/span> as<\/span> concerns<\/span> grow<\/span> that<\/span> China<\/span> may<\/span> step<\/span> up<\/span> its<\/span> political<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> Russia.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>While<\/span> China<\/span> is<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> Germany’s<\/span> most<\/span> important<\/span> trading<\/span> partners,<\/span> the<\/span> invasion<\/span> brought<\/span> home<\/span> to<\/span> many<\/span> in<\/span> Germany’s<\/span> business<\/span> community<\/span> the<\/span> lack<\/span> of<\/span> diversification<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> supply<\/span> chains<\/span> on<\/span> which<\/span> they<\/span> rely,<\/span> lending<\/span> new<\/span> urgency<\/span> to<\/span> efforts<\/span> to<\/span> boost<\/span> exposure<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> huge<\/span> potential<\/span> market.<\/span> Scholz<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> 1,800<\/span> German<\/span> companies<\/span> already<\/span> should<\/span> increase<\/span> their<\/span> investment<\/span> in<\/span> India.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Despite<\/span> interest,<\/span> regulations<\/span> and<\/span> trade<\/span> barriers<\/span> make<\/span> India<\/span> a<\/span> difficult<\/span> market<\/span> for<\/span> German<\/span> companies<\/span> to<\/span> enter.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> two<\/span> leaders<\/span> also<\/span> discussed<\/span> climate<\/span> change,<\/span> with<\/span> business<\/span> delegation<\/span> members<\/span> signing<\/span> an<\/span> agreement<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> wind.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW DELHI\/BERLIN (AFP) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday that he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were determined to sign a free trade deal between India and the European Union. “This is an important issue and I will be personally involved,” Scholz said after a meeting with Prime Minister Modi in New […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[24,23,2407,2425,2480,2482],"tags":[57,496,1209,1210,1211],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/download-1-1.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4288"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4288"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4292,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4288\/revisions\/4292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}