What to expect from India PM Narendra Modi’s 3-nation Europe trip?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is travelling to Germany, Denmark, and France on a three-nation Europe visit. He will have India-Germany intergovernmental consultations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz before going to Copenhagen and meeting Nordic nation leaders. Then, Modi is slated to visit France and meet newly re-elected President Emmanuel Macron. 

The PM spoke of India’s aim during the visit, saying, “Through my engagements, I intend to strengthen the spirit of cooperation with our European partners, who are important companions in India’s quest for peace and prosperity”. 

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Modi’s first foreign trip this year comes amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. He will be accompanied by the newly appointed 34th Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra who reiterated India’s stance on the Ukraine conflict and called for the violence to cease. 

“In so far as India’s position on Ukraine is concerned, it has been amplified, made clear, enunciated in great detail in multiple fora. And I’ll just single out a few key elements of it. One, we’ve always maintained that there should be cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, and two, the path to the resolution goes through diplomacy and dialogue”, the Indian diplomat said, urging for a return to diplomatic solutions. 

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Kwatra added, “I have no doubt in my mind our European partners are not just fully aware of our position but they also have a deep appreciation in favour of the government”. 

Modi, meanwhile, noted how his meeting with Macron is expected to pave the way for the next step in India and France’s strategic partnership. The PM said, “President Macron and I will share assessments on various regional and global issues and will take stock of ongoing bilateral cooperation. It is my firm belief that two countries that share such similar vision and values for the global order, must work in close cooperation with each other”.