India, Germany ink six deals to enhance cooperation

Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, at the Inter-Governmental Consultations (Plenary Session), at the Federal Chancellery, in Berlin on April 11.

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Gyanendra Kumar Keshri | 12 Apr, 2013
India and Germany Thursday signed six agreements to enhance cooperation in the areas of green energy, education, agriculture and science and technology.

The agreements were signed in the presence of visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the second inter-governmental meeting between the two countries.

The prime minister and the chancellor co-chaired the meeting and discussed the areas of cooperation.

Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, Manmohan Singh said the high level bilateral engagement between the two countries in the recent years had substantially and tangibly raised the quality of cooperation across a broad range of areas.

"We look forward to expand defence cooperation anchored in technology transfer, co-development and co-production in India," he said.

India's Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and German parliamentary state secretary Gudrun Kopp signed an agreement for establishment of a "green energy corridor".

Two agreements were signed to enhance cooperation in education and research.

Joint declarations of intents were signed for cooperation in agriculture, food security and civil security research.

"High technology commerce would benefit from further easing of German export controls to India. The agreement today on scientific collaboration on technologies for civilian security adds a new dimension to our growing security cooperation," Manmohan Singh said.

Chancellor Markel said the inter-governmental talks had helped strengthen economic and strategic ties.

"The scale and spectrum of agreements signed after the inter-governmental cooperation was a testimony of deep and close cooperation between the two countries," she said.

(Gyanendra Kumar Keshri can be contacted at gyanendra.k@ians.in)