PM Modi: War cannot solve problems, says Modi as Scholz sounds alarm on Russia | News from India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Olaf Scholz

The 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Olaf Scholz resulted in 8 major results, including one Mutual legal assistance treaty this is expected to strengthen joint efforts against terrorism and separatist elements.
Scholz appreciated India's support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and its willingness to use its ties with all parties to facilitate a political solution, while Modi asserted that war cannot solve any problem and stressed that India was ready to make all its possible contribution to the restoration of peace. . With aid provided and promised worth 28 billion euros, Germany is the second country behind the United States to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Speaking earlier at Asia-Pacific Conference German business community, in the presence of Modi, the chancellor warned that if Russia succeeds in its illegal and brutal war against Ukraine, there will be repercussions far beyond Europe's borders. Such an outcome, he added, would endanger global security and prosperity as a whole.
Launched in 2011, the IGC enables a comprehensive review of linkages as well as the identification of new areas of cooperation at firm level. Another important agreement signed is on the exchange of classified information which, Modi said, reflects deep mutual trust between the two countries amid growing defense and security cooperation.
Reaffirming their commitment to green and sustainable development, the two leaders launched an Indo-German agreement Green hydrogen roadmap. Among the geopolitical issues, the Russia-Ukraine Warthe conflict in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific situation were discussed in detail during the meeting.
Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia are a matter of concern for both countries. India has always maintained that war cannot solve any problem and is ready to make every possible contribution towards restoring peace, Modi said at a joint press conference after the wide-ranging talks.
In a joint statement, India and Germany also conveyed to Russia that the threat of use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable.
In his opening speech, Modi also raised the issue of tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, saying there are serious concerns over the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the region. In such moments, the strategic partnership between India and Germany emerged as a strong anchor, he said. Scholz will visit Goa on Saturday where the German naval frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the combat support ship Frankfurt am Main, as announced earlier by the Indian government, will make a stopover as part of the German deployment in the Indo-Pacific.
The leaders stressed the need for reforms to multilateral institutions, particularly the UN Security Council, with Modi saying global forums created in the 20th century are not capable of addressing the challenges of the 21st century. India and Germany are members of the G4, alongside Brazil and Japan, which seek to expand the Security Council and support each other's bid for permanent membership. Scholz also supported an ambitious India-EU FTA, which remains under discussion, highlighting the enormous potential for development and expansion of trade and investment between the two countries.
In his remarks at the media event, Scholz said no one can turn a blind eye to the Russian-Ukrainian war and its effects. This war which has lasted so long and which has claimed so many victims must finally end. “The integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must be preserved,” Scholz said, adding that Russian aggression had strained the rules-based international order. Scholz also said it was significant that the India was an anchor of stability in South Asia at that time.
On other areas of cooperation, Modi said a whole-of-government approach to critical and emerging technologies, skill development and innovation has also been agreed. This will strengthen cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and clean energy. It will also help build safe, reliable and resilient global supply value chains, he said.
Welcoming the German skilled labor strategy released for India, Modi expressed confidence that India's young talent pool would get better opportunities to contribute to Germany's development.