NEW DELHI: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to push for defense industry cooperation ahead of India’s awaited free trade agreement with the EU.
Merz’s two-day trip is his first since taking office in May and he is accompanied by German business leaders.
The visit started in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Modi’s home state, where they held a press conference after a delegation-level meeting and a series of joint declarations, including on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the defense industry, critical minerals, semiconductors, and energy.
“The growing cooperation in defense and security is a symbol of our mutual trust and shared vision,” Modi said, as he thanked Merz for “simplifying the processes” related to defense trade.
“We will also work on a roadmap to enhance cooperation between our defense industries, which will open up new opportunities for co-development and co-production.”
