India and Germany held 2nd round of Inter-Governmental Consultations during which crucial bilateral, international and regional issues like the long pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement and the situation in Afghanistan had been discussed.
Germany is the only country with which India has such a high-level format of discussion as the Intergovernmental Consultations. The first round of Consultations was held when Merkel visited India in May 2011. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe and fifth largest trading partner in the world. Bilateral trade between the two nations stood at 18.3 billion Euros in 2011. However, due to global economic slowdown, bilateral trade saw a dip of 5.5 percent last year.
During the meet India and Germany has inked six key MoUs including that for putting together Euro seven million for next four years towards joint research in the field of higher education and a pact for a soft loan of Euro one billion for strengthening the green energy corridor.
The lists of documents signed are as follows:
a) Joint Declaration of Intent regarding promotion of German as a foreign language in India:
The declaration will include introduction of B.Ed programmes for German language. Also scholarships would be awarded for Masters degree programs and for short stays in Germany with the goal of improving mutual trust and intercultural relations.
b) Intergovernmental MoU between India & Germany on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education:
The MoU intends to facilitate people-to-people exchanges. This includes students, academics, and project collaborators.
c) Joint Declaration of Intent in the area of Civil Security Research:
The Indo-German research cooperation in this new area intends to fund 5 pilot projects in 2013 with the identified priorities being natural disaster management, biological risk situations, urban security, protection & rescue of people and social aspects of civil security research.
d) Joint Declaration for cooperation in Agriculture sector:
Aims at strengthening cooperation in:
v plant variety protection;v conservation of plant genetic resources;v cooperation between Indian and German agricultural research institutions and
seed companies.
e) Joint Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Product Safety:
The declaration aims at strengthening bilateral cooperation in standardization, conformity assessment and product safety through bilateral economic and technical cooperation, intensifying dialogue and promoting coordinated activities in international organizations. Also provides for establishing and Indo-German Working Group Quality Infrastructure.
f) Joint Declaration of Intent for Establishment of Green Energy Corridors
It aims at fostering increased use of renewable energy in India through technical and fanatical cooperation by way of integrating additional renewable energy generation capacity with the national grid. The Technical cooperation would be implemented through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and KfW intends to provide concessional loans of up to Euro one billion over the next six years.
Germany is the only country with which India has such a high-level format of discussion as the Intergovernmental Consultations. The first round of Consultations was held when Merkel visited India in May 2011. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe and fifth largest trading partner in the world. Bilateral trade between the two nations stood at 18.3 billion Euros in 2011. However, due to global economic slowdown, bilateral trade saw a dip of 5.5 percent last year.
During the meet India and Germany has inked six key MoUs including that for putting together Euro seven million for next four years towards joint research in the field of higher education and a pact for a soft loan of Euro one billion for strengthening the green energy corridor.
The lists of documents signed are as follows:
a) Joint Declaration of Intent regarding promotion of German as a foreign language in India:
The declaration will include introduction of B.Ed programmes for German language. Also scholarships would be awarded for Masters degree programs and for short stays in Germany with the goal of improving mutual trust and intercultural relations.
b) Intergovernmental MoU between India & Germany on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education:
The MoU intends to facilitate people-to-people exchanges. This includes students, academics, and project collaborators.
c) Joint Declaration of Intent in the area of Civil Security Research:
The Indo-German research cooperation in this new area intends to fund 5 pilot projects in 2013 with the identified priorities being natural disaster management, biological risk situations, urban security, protection & rescue of people and social aspects of civil security research.
d) Joint Declaration for cooperation in Agriculture sector:
Aims at strengthening cooperation in:
v plant variety protection;v conservation of plant genetic resources;v cooperation between Indian and German agricultural research institutions and
seed companies.
e) Joint Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Product Safety:
The declaration aims at strengthening bilateral cooperation in standardization, conformity assessment and product safety through bilateral economic and technical cooperation, intensifying dialogue and promoting coordinated activities in international organizations. Also provides for establishing and Indo-German Working Group Quality Infrastructure.
f) Joint Declaration of Intent for Establishment of Green Energy Corridors
It aims at fostering increased use of renewable energy in India through technical and fanatical cooperation by way of integrating additional renewable energy generation capacity with the national grid. The Technical cooperation would be implemented through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and KfW intends to provide concessional loans of up to Euro one billion over the next six years.
Under pacts signed, both Germany and India have committed to Euro 3.5 million each towards working on joint research and innovation programmes.
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