New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Germany, Denmark, and France on May 2-4. This will be the Prime Minister’s first visit abroad in 2022, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Addressing the weekly media briefing, MEA spox Arindam Bagchi said, "Believe the issue will come" when asked if Ukraine will be discussed during PM's Europe visit.
In Berlin, Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, and the two leaders will co-chair the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC). The biennial IGC is a unique dialogue format that also sees the participation of several Ministers from both sides. This will be Prime Minister’s first IGC with Chancellor Scholz, and also the first such Government-to-Government consultations of the new German government, which assumed office in December 2021, the MEA spokesperson said.
During his visit, Prime Minister and Chancellor Scholz would also jointly address a Business Event. Prime Minister will address and interact with the Indian community in Germany. In 2021, India and Germany commemorated 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations and have been strategic partners since 2000.
This visit will be an opportunity to enhance and intensify cooperation in a broad range of areas and for the two governments to exchange views on regional and global matters of mutual interest, MEA added.
Prime Minister will thereafter travel to Copenhagen on an official visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen. He will also participate in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit being hosted by Denmark. The bilateral component of the visit will include talks with PM Frederiksen as well as an audience with Queen Margrethe II.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Green Strategic Partnership was the first of its kind arrangement between India and Denmark. The visit would provide both sides with an opportunity to review its progress, as well as examine ways to further expand our multifaceted cooperation. During the visit, Prime Minister will attend an India-Denmark Business Forum and also address members of the Indian diaspora.
During the 2nd India-Nordic Summit, Prime Minister will also interact with other Nordic leaders - Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Iceland, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden, and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland.
The Summit will focus on subjects like post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovation and technology, renewable energy, the evolving global security scenario, and India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region. The 1st India-Nordic Summit took place in 2018 in Stockholm.
On his return journey on 4 May 2022, the Prime Minister will briefly stopover in Paris and meet Emmanuel Macron, President of France. It is pertinent to note that India and France are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations this year and the meeting between the two leaders will set a more ambitious agenda for the Strategic Partnership.
Tourist visas to Chinese nationals: Not the right time to discuss this issue, says MEA
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that it was not an opportune moment to discuss the resumption of issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals in view of the Covid-19 situation there.
The reply from the MEA came in response to queries about global airlines body IATA telling its member carriers on April 20 that India has suspended tourist visas issued to Chinese nationals.
Replying to questions on the issue, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "I think you are all aware of the Covid situation in Chinese cities like Shanghai and elsewhere. I don't think it is an opportune moment really to discuss the resumption of issuance of tourist visas from China in the context of what is happening in Shanghai and the Covid situation there."
China had itself suspended the issuance of most types of visas to Indians since November 2020, Bagchi said. Pressed further, he reiterated, "I don't think it is the most opportune time to discuss resumption of issuance of tourist visas with China."
"You are aware of the situation there. I don’t think this is the right time to talk about the resumption of the issuance of tourist visas. Chinese themselves have not issued visas to us. Travel to China is not the easiest of things nor is travel out of China," he said.
Currently, Covid cases are at a peak in China. China's capital Beijing closed some schools and public spaces as most of the Chinese capital's 22 million residents turned up for more mass COVID-19 testing as covid cases continue to increase in the country.
