Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Modi’s visit to Europe is proving useful for India' that was published in Newsband

Modi’s visit to Europe is proving useful for India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany, Spain, Russia and France might benefit India to a great extent. India faced disappointment as the U.S. has forged closer ties with China, while it targeted Indian professionals and businesses to protect American jobs. Modi’s meetings with Merkel and subsequently Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and French President Emmanuel Macron saw those issues raised one way or another.

These leaders worked new ways to cooperate on multilateral issues, including terror, trade and climate change. Modi assured in Berlin that the suspended India-EU free trade talks for the Broadbased Trade and Investment Agreement would resume soon.

EU repose much more faith in Beijing than New Delhi would be comfortable with. Europe perceives its single largest threat to be from Moscow, not Beijing. Modi’s attendance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to unveil a new India-Russia vision statement for the 21st century along with President Vladimir Putin is of interest to the rest of the world. Modi heads to Washington for a meeting with Trump at the end of June.

Modi’s visit to Europe is to improve economic and cultural relations. Modi believes that it would be an “immoral and criminal act” to spoil the environment for future generations, and he underlines the need to protect nature. Modi wants “more and more German companies” to invest in India even as the speedy conclusion of an India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) was the focus on the German side. Warning that terrorism poses a grave threat to future generations, Modi said forces of humanity should come together to combat the menace as India and Germany vowed to take “strong measures” against those who encourage, support and finance it.

Modi backed German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “strong leadership” in uniting the European Union at a time when the economic grouping was showing signs of strain post Brexit and over the protectionist policies of US President Donald Trump. Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday reaffirmed the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). They said there is a need for expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, to make it more effective, efficient and responsive to the existing challenges to international peace and security and representative of the contemporary geo-political realities.

Science and technology, the start up world are important areas which have been given attention to during Modi’s visit. India is giving an impetus to next-generation infrastructure and this is an area in which Modi is working extensively with Germany. Their cooperation in areas like renewable energy is gaining momentum. Modi made it clear that climate protection and living in harmony with nature is a part of India’s ethos.

Germany’s partnership is very important in making Skill India a success. Modi is looking at outcome oriented momentum in India-Germany ties and a quantum jump specially in economic ties.

Modi and Chancellor Merkel signed a number of agreements/declarations of intent. One billion euros will go into development cooperation. They have expanded and deepened their bilateral ties in a number of areas. India and Germany have struck eight agreements during PM Modi’s visit.

Germany is the seventh largest foreign direct investor (FDI) in India and the total FDI from April 2000 until December 2016 amounted to $ 9.54 billion. A total of 1,800 German companies are operating in India. The German embassy in Berlin had launched the Make in India Mittelstand (MIIM) Programme in September 2015 to facilitate the German Mittelstand (SMEs) to do business in India. Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe and 7th largest source of FDI. Thus Modi is trying to derive maximum benefits for India during his visit to European nations.