NEW DELHI/RAJKOT, Jan 10: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who arrives on Monday on a two-day official visit, will be welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad. The two leaders will visit Sabarmati Ashram and participate in the International Kite Festival, before sitting down for bilateral talks.
On January 12, at around 9:30 am, Prime Minister Modi and the German Chancellor will visit the Sabarmati Ashram.
Thereafter, at 10 am, both leaders will participate in the International Kite Festival organized on the Sabarmati Riverfront.
The two leaders will hold bilateral talks at the Mahatma Mandir convention centre in Gandhinagar from 11:15 am.
The German Chancellor will later visit the Adalaj Stepwell, also known as Adalaj ni Vav, is a 15th-century subterranean masterpiece located about 18 km north of Ahmedabad in the village of Adalaj, Gujarat. He will also participate in a Skill Development event.
The bilateral meeting between the two leaders will review the progress made on the completion of 25 years of the Indo-German strategic partnership. The discussions will focus on issues such as trade and investment, technology, education, defence and security. Important agreements are likely to be reached during the meeting.
Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will also engage with business and industry leaders and exchange views on issues of regional and global importance.
The visit will build on the momentum generated by regular interactions at the highest political level. It will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and Germany to build a forward-looking partnership for the benefit of the people of both countries and the wider global community.
The International Kite festival, which has emerged as a major tourist attraction, will feature international and national kite flyers showcasing a variety of large and artistic kites.
A total of 1,071 kite enthusiasts are set to participate in the International Kite Festival, including 135 international flyers from 50 countries, and 65 participants from 13 Indian states. According to Gujarat Tourism estimates, over five lakh tourists are expected to visit the state during the 2026 edition of the festival.
On Tuesday, the German Chancellor travels to Bengaluru, where he will visit the Bosch Campus at Adugodi, in Ayappa Garden, and also visit the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. He emplanes for home later in the evening.
(UNI)
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