PARIS: Economic ties are at the top of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda as he begins a 9-day 3-nation tour of France, Germany and Canada today.
While in France, the Prime Ministerwill focus on technology development and tourism cooperation, in Germany, he will pitch the government’s “Make in India” theme for manufacturing, and in Canada, he will focus on investment potential and engage with the Indian diaspora, that numbers more than 1.2 million . “If I were to pick a common theme, then it is that all three G-7 nations are industrialised democracies.
We have considerable economic interests with them, and politically as democracies, we have convergence of views,” said Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, announcing the visit from April 9-17. Mr Modi will also make personalise his bilateral meetings with his counterparts: a boat ride with President Hollande, a walk together through the Hannover trade fair with Chancellor Merkel, and addressing the Indian diaspora along with Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper at an event in Toronto.
In France, Mr. Modi will travel to three places: the capital Paris for the bilateral visit and meetings with CEOs, to Toulouse to visit the Airbus factory, the French Space authority CNES and discuss building “smart cities” with officials, and then to the northern town of Lille, where he will drive to a memorial for Indians who fought and died in the first World War. One highlight of this visit will be a boat-ride down the river Seine along with President Francois Hollande, taking in the sights of Paris on Friday evening. “It will be a naav pe charcha (chat on a boat) situation,” quipped Mr. Jaishankar, referring to a similar tete a tete with US President Obama where PM Modi and he shared a cup of tea, dubbeded “chai pe charcha” after their talks.
In Hannover, the informal tete a tete with Chancellor Angela Merkel will be held in the form of a walk through the Hannover Messe industrial fair, where India is a partner this year. The two leaders will inaugurate the India pavilion, and will walktogether as they discuss the potential for German manufacturers to “Make in India”.
We have a very big presence of India, with almost 400 Indian companies displaying products with 100-120 CEOs present. Around 3,000 German business delegates will be there, and there is clearly a lot of enthusiasm for ‘Make in India’ and investment possibilities.” Mr. Modi will then travel to Berlin for the official state visit and bilateral talks, and will also go to see the Berlin Railway Station, which is known as a “model railway station”.
