German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expected to visit India next month

New Delhi: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to undertake a high-profile visit to India next month with an aim to significantly expand overall cooperation in areas of trade, defence, clean energy and climate change, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

It will be Scholz's first visit to India after he became German Chancellor in December 2021 following Angela Merkel's historic 16-year tenure at the top post. The people cited above told PTI that both sides are looking at the fourth week of February for the visit but the dates are yet to be locked.

In December, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid a two-day visit to India ostensibly to prepare for Scholz's long-awaited trip.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Scholz held bilateral talks in the Indonesian resort city of Bali on November 16 on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

The first meeting between the two leaders took place during Modi's visit to Berlin on May 2 for the 6th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).

It was followed by Modi's visit to the Alpine castle of Schloss Elmau in southern Germany on June 26 and 27 to attend the annual summit of G7 grouping. Scholz invited Modi for the G7 summit under the German presidency.

The ties between India and Germany have been on an upswing in a range of key areas in the last few years.

During her visit to New Delhi, German Foreign Minister Baerbock said India will have a decisive influence in shaping the international order in the 21st century, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

"Visiting India is like visiting a sixth of the world. As early as next year, India will overtake China as the most populous country in the world," she said.

"There is no doubt that India will have a decisive influence on shaping the international order in the 21st century -- in the Indo-Pacific and beyond," she said.

People familiar with the proposed visit by Scholz said the focus will be to significantly expand cooperation in areas of trade, defence, clean energy and climate change.

There has been convergence of views between India and Germany on ways to deal with many pressing global challenges.

Both sides have been underlining the importance of an effective rules-based international order and respect for the fundamental principles of international law as enshrined in the UN Charter.

In October, German Ambassador Phillip Ackermann said India should play the role of a "guide" in the overall global efforts to ensure a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.