Ease export controls to foster greater defence cooperation: EAM Jaishankar urges Germany
Germany should update its export control regime to foster greater defence cooperation with India and look at ways to ramp up bilateral trade and investments, external affairs minister S Jaishankar told a gathering of German ambassadors in Berlin on Tuesday.
Jaishankar, who is in Germany on the second leg of a three-nation tour, called for enhanced cooperation in innovation and technology, especially AI, fintech and green technologies, and for close consultation between the two countries on global issues to build trust and confidence in their partnership.
He travelled to Germany after visiting Saudi Arabia for the first meeting between foreign ministers of India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh on Monday. After holding talks with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and other ministers, Jaishankar will travel to Switzerland.
Addressing the annual ambassadors’ conference of the German foreign ministry, Jaishankar sought enhanced defence cooperation, especially as India’s private sector expands in this area. “It will require export controls updating as well. We welcome the recent air exercises between India and Germany and await the impending ship visits to Goa,” he said.
Germany has some of Europe’s most stringent controls for defence exports, though it has relaxed these measures to allow sales of small arms to the Indian military and to bid for a massive submarine contract for the Indian Navy. The move has coincided with an overall revamp of Germany’s defence policy.
Noting that India is a nearly $4 trillion economy with 8% growth prospects for decades, Jaishankar said changes in the country and an easier business climate should motivate greater trade and investment. “Our trade, currently at $33 billion, and mutual investment levels can surely do better,” he said.
He pointed to the importance of the Asia Pacific Conference of German business in New Delhi in October, set to be held alongside the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (ICG). The ICG, which is headed by the Indian premier and the German chancellor and meets every two years, will “provide directions at a very crucial time on key issues”, he said.
Calling for technology to be given greater weightage in bilateral ties, Jaishankar said: “We need to think digital, AI, fintech and clean-green technologies.” The India-Germany green and sustainable development partnership is making progress as the two sides have concluded 38 agreements worth 3.2 billion euros.
Jaishankar also called for close and continuous consultations on global issues to “build the levels of trust and confidence which behoves our partnership”.
He noted that the number of Indian students in Germany has doubled to 43,000 over the past five years and said, “But the flow of talent could be very much higher, constituting the kind of living bridge that we have with the US. This could be supplemented by understandings on skills mobility.”
Foreign policy matters to India’s growth and creation of infrastructure since global technology, resources and best practices can make a difference, he said. “When India engages Germany and the European Union (EU), this is a key consideration. For partners like you, it could mean both expanding markets and reliable supply chains,” he added.
In light of factors such as interdependence and limitations of national capabilities, India and Germany have to forge a partnership based on confidence and convergence. “And that is why we believe Germany too should take greater interest in the Indo-Pacific, just as we in India seek to do in the Euro-Atlantic,” he said.