Merkel visit “productive”: Modi

Bidding goodbye to Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said her visit has been “productive” and taken India-Germany ties to “newer heights.”

“As she leaves India, gratitude to Chancellor Merkel. This has been a productive visit which has taken India-Germany ties to newer heights,” Modi tweeted after the German leader concluded her two-day trip.

During the visit, the two countries signed 18 MoUs after talks between Modi and Merkel yesterday, with Germany announcing an assistance of over one billion Euros for India’s solar projects.

The two leaders also agreed to enhance ties in key areas of defence, security, intelligence, railways, trade and investment, clean energy, besides deciding to work closely to combat the threat of terrorism.

Modi had described Germany as a “natural partner” in achieving vision of India’s economic transformation and said the partnership will grow in areas like “defence manufacturing, trade in advanced technology, intelligence, and countering terrorism and radicalism.

The two leaders today visited the NASSCOM centre in Bengaluru, just before Merkel concluded the visit.