Page 23 - ICWA NewsletterOctober- December 2020
P. 23

INDIAN COUNCIL
                               OF WORLD AFFAIRS                        SAPRU HOUSE





            Second Indo-German Track 1.5 Dialogue

            27 November 2020


                The Indian Council of World Affairs in         of convergence on the
            A  collaboration with Research and Information     Indo-Pacific; India had
            System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi   welcomed the Indo-Pacific Guidelines released by
            organised a Track 1.5 Dialogue with its German     Germany earlier this year; and that the two sides
            counter-parts - German Institute of Global and     needed to work together in advancing practical
            Area Studies (GIGA)-Stiftung Wissenschaft und      cooperation in Indo-Pacific region to ensure security
            Politik (SWP)-Bertelsmann Stiftung on 27 November   and growth for all. He noted that climate change was
            2020. This was the second round of the Dialogue;   an area on which India and Germany had a strong
            the first was held on the side-lines of the bilateral   convergence of views. He called upon Germany to
            Inter-Governmental Consultations in New Delhi in   join the International Solar Alliance. The full text of
            November 2019. Opening Statements were delivered   his remarks are at https://bit.ly/3c9lZRE
            by Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary,   State Minister Niels Annen, Federal Foreign Office,
            Ministry of External Affairs, India and Niels Annen,   Germany said that the on-going health crisis
            State Minister, Federal Foreign Office, Gernamy.   had significantly altered the political, social and
            Discussions were structured in two sessions on     economic landscape. COVID-19 and the US-China
            Foreign & Security Policy and Trade & Economics.   trade conflict and worsening bilateral relations have
                                      Shri Harsh Vardhan       made nations in Europe position themselves to
                                      Shringla, Foreign        protect their political and economic interests. China
                                      Secretary, in his        is a partner of Germany on issues like the pandemic,
                                      address said that        a competitor on issues like manufacturing, trade
                                      the health crisis had    and investment, and a rival on issues like human
                                      brought discussions      rights, territorial disputes, etc. On Indo-Pacific, he
                                      on international         said that Germany recognised the need to upgrade
                                      cooperation and on       its role in the Indo-Pacific. Germany gives significant
                                      how to deal with post    importance to free, open and safe sea routes.
                                      pandemic economic        Germany and India have an important role to play in
                                      recovery into sharper    the region. There is a need to bring in more countries
                              focus. The pandemic had          within the ambit of the Indo-Pacific having the
                              brought to the fore the need     scope of a multilateral dialogue. He expressed
                              for more secure, reliable        appreciation for India’s active, positive and dynamic
                              and resilient supply chains.     role in the Indo-Pacific. He also noted Germany and
                              The Atmanirbhar Bharat or        India’s convergences in the areas of climate change,
                              Self Reliant India Campaign      human rights, connectivity.
                              launched by PM Modi              Session I on Foreign and Security Policy was chaired
            merged domestic production and consumption         by Dr TCA Raghavan, Director General, Indian
            with global supply chains. India had undertaken    Council of World Affairs. Speakers included Amb.
            a number of reforms in the labour, agriculture     Anil Wadhwa, Former Ambassador of India and
            and investment sector which create greater         Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda International
            investment opportunities for German companies.     Foundation and Prof. Dr. Amrita Narlikar, President,
            There exists great potential for collaboration in   GIGA. Session II on Trade and Economics was
            the area of digitalization, innovation, start-ups,   chaired by Ms. Anika Laudien, Project Manager,
            new and emerging technologies, climate sensitive   Bertelsmann Stiftung. The speakers of the session
            technologies. While Germany has the R&D            were Dr. Hanns-Günther Hilpert, Head of Research
            capability in technology, India had the human      Division Asia, SWP and Prof. S.K. Mohanty, RIS,
            resources and the market to complement. He         New Delhi. Discussions were held on the impact of
            said that India and Germany had a high degree      COVID-19 on respective economies.





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