New Delhi: The newly appointed German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, said on Tuesday that China's claim of Arunachal Pradesh being its integral part was outrageous. Addressing his first ever press briefing in the national capital, Ackermann said Germany was "very well aware of problems at the northern border".
"China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of China, which is outrageous. So, I think that the infringement at the border is extremely difficult and should not be accepted," he added. Additionally, making the stark difference clear between the India-China border situation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ackermann emphasised that the two issues were unrelated and very much dissimilar.
"You should also differentiate that what happens at the border with China has nothing to do with what happens in Ukraine. China doesn't hold 20% of Indian territory, it is not destroying systematically every village, every town in the area," he noted. When asked about differences in Indian and German stances on the topic, the Ambassador said there existed differences, but there were primary issues both sides agreed upon.
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"We might not agree on every line when it comes to Ukraine, but I want to state the first impression I have of my Indian colleagues. Ukraine's problem has manifold impacts on the world. The Indian side very well recognises this violation of international law" Ackermann said, adding that India and Germany had a 'sophisticated relationship'. He succeeds ex-German diplomat Walter J Lindner, who served as the Ambassador between 2019 and 2022.
Speaking to ETV Bharat on the sidelines of the event, Ackermann said he was happy to be back in India after more than 10 years. "I had a great time between 2007 and 2010 and I must say that coming back to India comes to my entire satisfaction."Many things have changed, while many things have stayed the same. The India-Germany cooperation has increased in the last 12 years, but I would say there is still room for improvement" he said. Noting he was impressed with the way infrastructural development had taken place in the country and the national capital, the Ambassador further said he was "curious to discover more."
