Speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, German envoy Philipp Ackermann lauded Gujarat for its long tradition of international trade and its current position as a powerhouse of India’s development….reports Asian Lite News
With India’s place in the world changing rapidly, it has become a key player in world affairs as well as an engine of global economic growth, German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, he lauded Gujarat for its long tradition of international trade and its current position as a powerhouse of India’s development
In his address, Ackermann said, “Today’s Summit is testimony to the fact that India’s place in the world is undergoing rapid change. It has become both a key player in world affairs and an engine of global economic growth. During its remarkable G20 presidency, India has championed an inclusive multilateral agenda, which highlighted its convening power in the international arena”.
“Gujarat has a long tradition of international trade with its current position as a powerhouse of India’s development, for example in the field of renewable energies, to name but one,” he added.
Speaking on the Indo-German relations, he said that the strategic partnership between India and Germany is one of the success stories, as Berlin is New Delhi’s top trading partner in Europe at over 30 billion euros a year.
“More than 2,000 German companies have a permanent presence in India and are investing heavily. Record numbers of Indian students study at German universities. Many more are learning German in the hope of finding a job in Germany and enriching our people-to-people links,” the German envoy said.
He added, “Under the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership, Germany has budgeted a billion euros per year for cooperation projects with India in promoting urban mobility, renewable energies and environmental protection. Chancellor Scholz is personally committed to strengthening ties with India: he visited twice last year, and is keen to return this year”.
The German envoy further emphasized the scope of Indo-German cooperation in the field of building supply chains that are “weatherproof for the future”.
“This year 2024 will add further vigour to forging partnerships between our two countries. Among the highlights of next year will be the Asia Pacific Conference of German Business which will be held in Delhi in the autumn. It will be an outstanding opportunity to showcase the strength of the Indo-German strategic partnership, to bring new investment to India to drive forward our technology and innovation agenda,” he said.
The Asia Pacific Conference of German Business is a biannual event that brings together top-level executives and political leaders from Germany and all across Asia.
The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was initiated by Narendra Modi in 2003, then chief minister, to put Gujarat on the world map of trade and industry.
The tenth edition of the Summit is held from January 10-12 in Gandhinagar. (ANI)
‘MoUs Will benefit Not Just Gujarat’
Stating that the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit should not be seen from a ‘state-specific’ perspective, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the MOUs signed in the summit have huge scope, and it will benefit not just Gujarat but the whole country.
He also emphasized the India-UAE relationship stating that New Delhi and Abu Dhabi are prime examples of landmark transformation between relationships.
Speaking on the MoUs signed, Kwatra said, “These are the very crucial elements of expanding the externalities of foreign trade, bringing administrative efficiency in foreign trade, bringing resilient supply chains, both within India and supply chain links between India and the rest of the economies. MoUs of this nature, irrespective of where they are signed or delivered, the scope of their benefits always accrue across the country”.
“It will naturally benefit Gujarat, but the whole country will gain out of it. These are the agreements of economic support and cooperation. The scope of its benefits is very large and it should not be seen from the state-specific perspective,” he added.
The Foreign Secretary said that PM Modi and UAE President Al Nahyan held extensive talks on all areas of bilateral cooperation after which four MOUs were signed between the two countries.
“The kind of grand welcome, the UAE President was accorded, he was the Chief Guest. He and Prime Minister Modi held extensive talks on all areas of bilateral cooperation, whereafter the four MOUs were exchanged…if you want to see landmark transformation between relationship between India and another country, I think India and UAE are prime examples,” Kwatra said.
He also emphasized the Memorandum of Understandings exchanged between India and UAE, ranging from the areas of health sector engagement, and renewable energy to food park development.
“Four MOUs signed with the UAE. One relates to the investment corporation in innovative healthcare projects. The very title of this particular MOU will clearly signify that the investment cooperation in this field will expand to include all areas of health sector engagement, particularly focusing on the innovation element of it,” Kwatra said.
He added, “Investment cooperation in the renewable energy sector is again wide-ranging MoU which covers renewable, including green hydrogen, including solar. Also, there is an inherent thought of possible grid connectivity between India and UAE in that space. Food Park Development is a project, which was first discussed under the I2U2 framework”. (ANI)
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