'India is important for us': German Ambassador says new regime will continue strong bilateral ties

New Delhi: India is becoming an important country for Germany in the Indo-Pacific region and the next coalition government in Berlin is expected to continue strong ties with New Delhi, German Ambassador Walter J Lindner said on Monday. He said relations between India and Germany saw a significant upswing including in areas of trade and investment in the last over one decade and that the upward trajectory in ties is likely to continue. “None of the global issues can be solved without India, be it climate change, global warming, trade issues, COVID-19 vaccination and terrorism…India is important for us,” he told reporters. His comments came as a new coalition government is expected to take the reins in Berlin following the parliamentary elections. According to reports, Social Democrats (SPD) was ahead of the ruling conservative bloc of Angela Merkel in the federal elections. The federal elections marked the end of Merkel’s 16-year tenure as the German Chancellor, a period that saw significant expansion of India-Germany ties. Merkel has already announced that she will not seek a fresh term at the helm of the country. “The Indo-Pacific is becoming more and more important and India has emerged as a major player in the region,” the German envoy said. On Afghanistan, he said there was a need to address the need for humanitarian assistance in the country. Referring to the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, he said the world community failed to properly predict the speed with which the group took over the country.