At a time when there are superficial differences between New Delhi and Western countries over the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany, Denmark and France is promising that India and Europe should not derail their strategic ties. In favor of strength. It was decided that Ukraine issue would be raised in all three countries and it happened, but India made it clear that even though it is not publicly condemning Russia, but it believes that this war will harm all countries and Indian interests will also be hurt. Perhaps that is why the Prime Minister said that no one will emerge victorious in this battle, and that countries like India, which advocate a stable global economy and economic well-being of their people, will suffer in this battle. It was clear that we do not consider this war to be justified in any way and want a solution to it through diplomacy and dialogue.
Prime Minister Modi’s three-day visit started from Germany. Germany, which has taken its step back after the Second World War, wants to once again establish itself as a major power. India can benefit from this assertiveness of Germany. Again, Germany is one of the countries that has made its strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. Since European countries consider this region to be very important, India and Germany’s agreement on mutual coordination in the Indo-Pacific will be considered a major achievement of this visit. Germany is also an important country of the European Union, so it has the ability to give policy shape to it, which can benefit India.
It is also important here that in the first meeting of the Inter-Governmental Consultations held by the new government of Germany, the importance of New Delhi was once again acknowledged. Both India and Germany are also unanimous about the dependence on Russia. While Germany imports most of its oil and gas from Russia, most of our defense products come from Moscow. This equality is in the interest of both the countries. Apart from this, both the countries were also keen to increase mutual cooperation on issues related to climate change. We also entered into a ‘Migration and Mobility Partnership’ agreement with Germany to benefit IT professionals. This was desperately needed by both the countries, because Germany is a country with rapidly aging population and it needs professional youth, while India wants to expand its service. Clearly, this agreement will have far-reaching consequences and strengthen our ‘people-to-people’ relationship with Germany.
The prime minister’s next stop was Denmark, where two important things happened. First, over the years our friendship has deepened and bilateral diplomatic cooperation has grown rapidly. A large section of the Indian Diaspora lives there, which the Prime Minister also addressed. The visit was an attempt to take forward the agreements we have with Denmark on climate change and technological innovations. Denmark’s technology is also considered very advanced in renewable energy. In such a situation, it is important for a country like India to move forward together with Denmark. That is exactly what the Prime Minister tried to do.
The second thing is related to the ‘Nordic’, that is, the Northern European countries, with whom India negotiated keeping Denmark at the center. Apart from Denmark, these countries included Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. We did not give much importance to the Nordic countries in our foreign policy, but in this second meeting of the India-Nordic Council, India actively participated. This shows that New Delhi is now giving importance to the regional outlook. It was also necessary to do so because they all have the same priorities and the technical capabilities are more or less the same.
As for France, it is one of our most important diplomatic ally. Both the countries have similar stances on Ukraine issue. Today Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron are the only leaders who can talk directly to Vladimir Putin on the phone. Both countries believe that the avenues of dialogue with Russia should be open, so the attitude of India and France towards international politics has been considered very important. The good thing is that both the countries stick to their respective stand. Prime Minister Modi also indicated that the reappointment of Macron is a good thing for Indian foreign policy and will add more heat to bilateral ties.
Altogether, there were three issues from which the importance of this visit can be understood. First, India’s position on the issue of Ukraine was more clearly articulated. France and Germany are important countries in Europe, and in both places India has made its stand. This may also affect the policies of the European Union. Second, European countries see the Indo-Pacific as an important center and want to increase their presence here. Especially his doubts about China are favorable for India, which was also taken advantage of by Prime Minister Modi. European countries need an ally who supports inclusive development, not just its own growth. India has made its role clear in this. India has also made it clear that it has a stake in the priorities of the West, especially in issues related to climate change.
The third issue is to increase mutual coordination, especially on issues related to security, Indo-Pacific, climate change, global order etc. There was a time when there was a gulf between India and these countries, but today not only has this gap been bridged, but there has also been a momentum in mutual relations. Clearly, India has many opportunities, and it will hardly want to miss them. How important is the support of European countries in this, this is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed in his visit.
(These are the author’s own views)