core sector communique

Visit of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany to India

The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Horst Köhler arrives in India on 1^st February for a six-day state visit covering three cities. The President will meet with top political leaders, hold discussions on the financial crisis with the RBI Governor and meet key industry representatives as well as Indian intellectuals.

The key objective of President Köhler’s visit is to open up new avenues for Germany and India to work together in developing a 21^st-century world policy based on mutual cooperation. His first official visit to India underlines the increasing importance of the strategic partnership between Germany and India. It is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties, including the forthcoming ‘Year of Germany in India 2011 – 2012’, which will showcase areas of mutual interest.

President Köhler is in Delhi from 1^st – 4^th February. On Tuesday, 2^nd February, his political engagements include meetings with his Indian counterpart Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, leader of the ruling coalition Sonia Gandhi and leader of the opposition in Parliament Sushma Swaraj.

Later in the day President Köhler has an interaction with industry representatives, organised jointly by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). On the second day, President Köhler holds a discussion with Indian intellectuals at the Max Mueller Bhavan, followed by a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. At IIT Delhi, President Horst Köhler inaugurates the Indo-German Max Planck Center for Computer Science (IMPECS) along with Indian Minister of Science & Technology Prithviraj Chavan.

President Köhler travels to India’s automobile hub Pune on Thursday, 4^th February. He tours the new Volkswagen plant in Chakan and the Indian environment and energy company Thermax. In Pune, President Köhler also participates in a roundtable discussion on ‘Globalisation and the Automobile industry’.

On his Mumbai lap, President Köhler will visit the Taj Mahal Hotel in remembrance of the victims of the 26/11 terror attack. The President will also pay a visit to the Synagogue in Fort area and have meetings with the Governor of Maharashtra and the Chief Minister, Ashok Chavan.

On 5^th February, President Köhler is at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hold discussions on India’s experience with the fallout of the global financial crisis. At the RBI, he meets the Governor Duvvuri Subbarao and Chief General Manager Grace Koshie. President Köhler concludes his India tour with a site visit to a watershed management project implemented under Indo-German development cooperation at Darewadi, Maharashtra.

Horst Köhler was elected as the ninth President of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2004. In 2008, he was re-elected for another four-year term. Earlier, from 2000 – 2004, he was Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund. President Köhler is accompanied by his wife Eva Luise Köhler.