To stabilise global economy, EAM urges Germany to speed up FTA with EU

As India looks to circumvent its trade problem with the US, external affairs minister S Jaishankar told his visiting German counterpart Johann Wadephul India’s counting on Germany to expedite the negotiations for India-EU FTA , underling that a “decisive conclusion”of the agreement in the coming days will help stabilise the global economy.

The leaders discussed the Ukraine conflict as Wadephul urged India to convince Russia to join peace efforts and said the EU is not against countries buying Russian energy to meet their own needs but opposes refined Russian oil reaching its shores in a roundabout way.

Talking about the significance of ties with Germany, Europe’s largest economy, in the current circumstances, the minister said predictability has a huge premium today in global politics and ongoing changes in the world are influencing India’s policy and the way it approaches other countries.

As the 2 countries looked to expand cooperation in trade, defence and security in the meeting, Wadephul backed the year-end deadline for the FTA, which the EU sees as the largest deal of its kind in the world, while also urging India to use its influence with Russia to bring peace in Europe.

“If others set up impediments to trade, we should respond by lowering these impediments and hurdles (between us),” said Wadephul, while also backing early ratification of the FTA.

Wadephul appreciated PM Narendra Modi’s message to President Vladimir Putin this week for an early end to the conflict saying EU’s only demand is that weapons go silent. He also said EU doesn’t want Russia to use “detours” for its oil. The US accuses India of profiteering from its export of refined Russian oil to Europe and other places. In Europe,countries like Germany and France are pushing for secondary sanctions that would target entities in third countries they see as backing Russia’s war.

Jaishankar said in a joint press conference the world’s facing the twin challenges of economic volatility and political uncertainty India believes that a multi-polar world with strategic autonomy can best respond through more intensive cooperation among key member states.

“There’s no question that the changes we see in the world today do influence our policies and do influence the manner in which we approach other countries. And I think together they make a very powerful case for India and the EU and India and Germany to work much more closely with each other,” he said. Backing Germany’s desire to double its Euro 50 billion trade with India, Jaishankar said India would pay special attention to any concerns German companiesmight have about operating in India.

There was also discussion on the Indo-Pacific as Wadephulstressed India and Germany are united by the objective to preserve the rules-based international order and China’s aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific was a cause for concern for both our countries. “More generally, we aim to further expand our cooperation in the areas of defense, security and armaments,” he said, adding Germany agrees with India and others that there’s a need to defend the rules-based order from China.

Jaishankar also thanked Wadephul for the understanding shown by Germany on India’s fight against terrorism. “Minister Wadephul has himself been explicit about our right to defend our people against terrorist attacks. Our Parliamentary delegation that visited Germany in June after Operation Sindoor was also warmly received,” he said.

Jaishankar said he raised the issue of Ariha Shah, an Indian child who has been in foster care of German authorities for years, saying it is essential that her cultural rights are ensuredand she grows up in Indian surroundings. “So. this matter needs to be resolved without further delay, and I think we have had some discussions today on that subject,” he said.