For Robert Habeck (Green) it was a meeting with a difficult partner: The Federal Economy Minister is due on a three-day trip to India on Wednesday. The visit takes place as part of India’s G-20 presidency and will address trade, energy and climate policy topics.

Businessman accompanies minister

Habeck will be accompanied by a delegation of Bundestag members and economic representatives, his ministry announced on Monday. On Thursday, Habeck will hold political talks in the capital, New Delhi, and take part in an economics conference there. Discussions with visiting businesses and companies in Mumbai are on the agenda for Friday. A visit to the G-20 energy ministers meeting in Goa is planned for Saturday.

Germany is increasingly seeking to expand cooperation with India, including in efforts to limit dependence on China. In the Indo-Pacific region, India is an “important partner for Germany’s economic diversification,” according to the Federal Ministry of Economy. Therefore, the topics of diversification and economic resilience and security are important focuses of the trip.

India accedes to Russia’s war of aggression

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) visited India in February and was received there by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. After the meeting, he called for a clear stance from India on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “The world is suffering from this aggression,” said Scholz. India has not condemned Russia’s war and does not support the sanctions. India is heavily dependent on Russia for energy and weapons.

Only a tenth of trade is with China

India has great potential for renewable energy expansion and is an important growth area, according to the Habeck department. One looks with great interest at India’s efforts to establish green hydrogen production for export. The volume of trade between Germany and India was nearly 30 billion euros last year – a tenth of that of Germany and China’s trade with each other.