Modi giving his remarks to media, accompanied by the German Chancellor, Ms. Angela Merkel, during the Joint Press Statement, at Federal Chancellery, in Berlin.
In a joint statement in Berlin, Germany, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel announced a 10-point to do list to further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Encouraging greater synergies between German engineering, experience in sustainable development, innovation and skills, and the new opportunities available in India and through ‘Make in India', ‘Clean India', ‘Digital India' and other initiatives towards achieving economic growth and sustainable development, these initiatives are aimed at taking the relationship forged at the Hannover Messe backdrop to a new level.
The two leaders decided to encourage the respective Ministries and Departments to take proactive steps to advance collaboration in the following areas.
1. Manufacturing: Utilise the momentum generated by India's participation in the Hannover Messe to foster stronger ties between business and industry on both sides in order to support India's ‘Make in India' initiative. Greater investments, a positive investment climate and technology partnerships are crucial for the success of India's ‘Make in India' initiative
2. Skill Development: Expand existing Indo-German cooperation through new initiatives, including a road-map for enhancing employability of trainees and apprentices by strengthening industry involvement in Skills Development, as in the German dual system.
3. Urban Development: Strengthen the bilateral cooperation by establishing a working group on urban development. Support development of urban planning and infrastructure in India, including (a)cooperation in the development of new areas of collaboration and mutual benefit in the development of smart cities in India; (b) Setting up peer-to-peer network of Municipalities for direct collaboration; and (c) Assistance in the area of affordable housing.
4. Environment: Strengthen the bilateral cooperation through the establishment of two working groups in the areas of water and waste management.
5. Railways: Modernisation of the railway infrastructure by setting up of semi high-speed and high-speed railways and training and skill development of personnel in the rail sector starting with signalling and telecommunications and a high-speed rail system.
6. Cleaning of Rivers: Following the completion of the Ganga Scoping Mission in October 2014 by Germany, develop cooperation on Ganga River rejuvenation strategies, capacity support for urban sanitation, setting up of standards, approaches to industrial pollution and innovative financial models.
7. Renewable Energy: Support India's proposed objective of 175GW of renewable energy by 2022 through technical and financial support for developing comprehensive solar rooftop and green energy corridor projects in India.
8. Education: Setting up of an International Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, strengthening collaboration between universities, and enhancing the exchange of scientists between both countries.
9. Language: Support the respective programs and efforts in India and Germany to broaden knowledge of each other's languages among the youth in accordance with the national policy of each country.
10. Science and Technology (S&T): Both sides declared their intent to promote closer R&D Cooperation in science, technology and innovation, in particular through extending the tenure of the bi-national Indo-German Science and Technology Center in India with appropriate resources, the cooperation arrangement between Ministry of Earth Sciences, India and Helmholtz Association, Germany for Institutional collaboration in the area of Earth Sciences, and understanding between National Council of Science Museums in India and Leibniz Association, Germany on closer cooperation in science communication.
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