[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Also visiting Varanasi and Chennai for promoting ties 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has arrived on a four-day visit to India on Thursday. He was received by S. S. Ahluwalia, the Minister of State for drinking water and sanitation.

Immediately after his arrival at IGI airport he was emplaned for a day long visit to Varanasi. He will be given ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday when he meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovind. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will call on him at his hotel.

Ravish Kumar, Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs wrote on his twitter post about the arrival of the dignitary.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In Varanasi, besides visiting Archaeological Museum, Dhameka Stupa, Maulagandhakuti Vihar temple, he will interact with the students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He will also witness Ganga Aarti in the evening before leaving for the capital.

On Friday, Steinmeier, will have busy schedule in the capital, that will take him to Jama Masjid, address the Delhi University students, visit the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology and attend a Business Round Table at German Embassy.

On Sunday he will be travelling to Chennai to visit Daimler India Commercial Vehicles factory in Oragandam, IIT Madras Research Park and Shore Temple Mahabalipuram. He will conclude his India visit in Chennai on Monday.

This is his first visit to India as the President of Germany. He is accompanied by a CEO delegation, Indologists and a group of media persons.

The visit is considered significant after German Chancellor Angela Merkel was re-elected to the German Parliament for a record fourth term on Wednesday.

According to the statement issued by Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday, India’s relationship with Germany is amongst our foremost relations, bilaterally and in global context.

The MEA statement further said, after having established Strategic Partnership since 2000, successive Governments on the two sides have endeavoured to broaden and deepen this relationship. This has found expression in having biennial Summit level Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC), which Germany has with select few countries only.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany in May last year was described as “new chapter” in bilateral relations. He met Chancellor Angela Markel at her country retreat of Schloss Mesenberg. During that foreign tour, PM also visited Spain, Russia and France.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has visited India several times in the capacity of Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany – in 2015 accompanying Chancellor Merkel to attend the 3rd Intergovernmental Consultations, in September 2014 and in November 2008.

According to sources, the India-Germany bilateral economic cooperation has been robust. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe and the 6th largest trading partner in the world. India was ranked 24th in Germany’s global trade.

India’s current priorities in most areas match with German expertise, such as renewable energy, skills development, Smart City, water & waste management, cleaning of rivers, railways, etc. These could be synergised for tangible, result-oriented outcomes.

In 2016-17 the bilateral trade turnover was US$ 18.76 billion  while India exported goods worth US$ 7.18 billion to Germany and imported goods worth US$ 11.58 billion. Germany is the 7th largest foreign direct investor in India. Cumulative German FDI in India from April 2000 to December 2017 is USD 10.71 billion or 2.91% of total FDI.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]