In New Delhi, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Indian colleague signed a mobility agreement that aims to make it easier for people from both countries to work in the other country. This should also significantly reduce the waiting time for visa applications.
According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Germany wants to further develop relations with India. There is “great potential” in India in particular, said Baerbock during a visit to New Delhi, referring to the Indian population of more than 1.3 billion people. Both governments signed a migration and mobility agreement.
The Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar referred to the long waiting times for visa applications for Indians who wanted to travel to Germany. “One of the big tasks will be to drastically reduce waiting times,” said Baerbock. “Because we want highly qualified specialists from India to come to Germany more easily,” she added, referring to the easier immigration of workers planned by the traffic light government.
With regard to India’s neighbor China, the Green politician said that one wanted to promote the diversification of economic relations, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. “But India is not a substitute partner for China,” she emphasized at the same time. On the contrary, India has long been a value partner with whom we share democratic beliefs and human rights concepts. Russia has shown how dangerous it can be to depend on partners who are not value partners, which can also have “dramatic consequences” for the economy.
During her two-day inaugural visit to India, Baerbock also plans to meet with representatives of civil society and non-governmental organizations, particularly in connection with women’s rights.
