India and Germany look to bolster ties as Modi and Scholz hold talks in New Delhi

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday held wide-ranging discussions to bolster strategic ties between the two countries as Berlin looks to strengthen its relationship with New Delhi at a time when the West is seeking to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

Modi and Scholz met in New Delhi where the two countries signed various agreements on enhancing cooperation in the defense sector, information technology, clean energy, skill development and artificial intelligence.

Scholz — accompanied by several key ministers and business leaders — is leading a high-level delegation as part of his three-day visit to India.

After the talks, Scholz noted that Germany is India’s most important trading partner in the European Union and said he was determined to expand those ties.

“As chancellor, I am in particular advocating an ambitious free trade agreement between India and the European Union,” he said. “All sides would really benefit from this, and it should be our ambition finally to make progress here.”

He said there was “good progress” on attracting skilled labor to Germany, particularly “in the sectors where we need them most urgently — whether in medicine, in nursing care, or the IT sector.”

“Our aim is to enthuse even more skilled workers from your country for Germany,” Scholz told Modi.

Earlier in the day, Modi announced that Germany will increase visas for the skilled Indian workforce from 20,000 to 90,000.

Scholz also made a pitch for India to be more active in persuading Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

“This war, which has been raging for so long now and is claiming so many victims, must finally come to an end. The integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must be