German President Horst Koehler?s week-long visit to India is seen as a ?clear sign? of the strengthening ties between New Delhi and Berlin. The President will arrive on February 1 and will stay till February 7.
Koehler?s visit will be the first by a German President since the visit by president Johannes Rau in March 2003. Describing the visit as a ?clear sign? of the ensuing intensity of high-level contacts between the two sides, officials observed that bilateral interaction between India and Germany is poised to intensify in the near future, with visits by several high-powered business and political delegations planned in both countries.
Koehler, will be accompanied by his wife Eva Luise and other important German figures from politics and business, and will provide a strong impetus to bilateral relations that should ultimately move towards a strategic partnership.
Talking to the media-persons ahead of the president?s visit, German ambassador Thomas Matussek said the two countries were planning to sign four agreements, but will not be able to do so because bureaucratic procedures on the Indian side were not completed yet.
The Indian side sought the pact on security and counter-terrorism, which involved laying down a legal basis and framework for the training of Indians by anti-terror specialists in Germany, he said.
?We have sent a draft to the home ministry. It is being looked at by the external affairs ministry,? Matussek said. The same goes for an agreement on economic and technological cooperation involving $500 million. ?It?s currently in the MEA (external affairs ministry) for their approval,? the envoy said.
Two other pacts, which were expected to be signed, included a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on social security and an MoU on corporate responsibility.