German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that he hopes an EU free trade agreement with India can be signed at a summit on January 27, as it is needed to unlock the full potential of economic relations between Germany and India.
“We must not and do not want to leave this opportunity unused,” the chancellor said, after talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa plan to travel to the Indian capital New Delhi at the end of January and, if possible, sign the agreement there.
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Sources close to the chancellor described the chances of success as good. Merz called it an “encouraging sign” that an agreement on the deal with four Latin American Mercosur states had been reached just last week, after more than a quarter of a century of negotiations.
Talks on the EU-India agreement began 18 years ago.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz visit a kite festival during Merz’s first major trip to Asia since taking office in May. Kay Nietfeld/dpa
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz (L) at the Gandhi Ashram, a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, marking Merz’s first major trip to Asia since taking office. Kay Nietfeld/dpa
