German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will be on a two-day visit to India beginning December 5 as the two countries seek to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, December 1. Baerbock will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters here.

German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann called on Jaishankar on Thursday. As strategic partners, India and Germany have a long standing relationship underpinned by common values and shared goals, an MEA statement said.

On Wednesday, Germany announced that it had finalised 22 projects totalling one billion euros to support transition to renewable energy in India. The funding, including 10% grants and 90% in the form of lines of credit, will support India’s efforts in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable urban development in smart cities and sustainable use of natural resources, German Ambassador Ackermann said.

India and Germany celebrated 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Germany twice this year, first for the sixth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations in Berlin on May 2 and later in June when India was invited as partner country for the G7 Summit.

In May, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Germany, announced support of at least 10 billion euros by 2030 under the green and sustainable development partnership (GSDP).

The lines of credit will be provided by KfW Development Bank with “very cheap interest” ranging from 2.7% to 3.2% for development projects in states such as Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. “We are keen to cover the whole country through this initiative and support all good ideas,” Ackermann said.