New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) Determined to expand their strategic relations, India and Germany pledged to step up their campaign for radical UN reforms while agreeing that terrorism cannot be fought selectively.
During a day-long visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany and India also signed four agreements to expand cooperation in areas related to nuclear physics, education and research.
The pacts were signed after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose trip was delayed after Iran denied her plane the use of its airspace.
The two countries reviewed the situation in Pakistan, where Islamist forces have stepped up attacks since Osama bin Laden’s May 2 killing, and Afghanistan, where Germany’s troop deployment has met with criticism.
They also discussed the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, with particular reference to the unrest in Libya and its likely impact on the world.
‘Terrorism is a serious challenge which will have to be fought on all fronts and not selectively,’ Manmohan Singh told a news conference here that Merkel also addressed.
Merkel was on a day-long working visit to India, her second since 2007.
‘India and Germany have the same goal in Afghanistan, as an independent country with security in its hands. Afghanistan should develop an independent security architecture,’ Merkel said, adding that Germany will be hosting the next conference on Afghanistan this year.
Merkel made a pitch for the German-led four nation consortium EADS’s Eurofighter Typhoon, which is in the race to win the $10.4 billion deal for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft that India plans to buy.
‘With the Eurofighter we have made good proposals and want to intensify our relationship with India. The Eurofighter is the best product on offer,’ she said.
Merkel, however, stressed that she would not exert any influence on the procurement process.
Competition has intensified after the IAF’s trials shortlisted the Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Dassault Aviation’s Rafale aircraft.
The expansion of the UN Security Council figured prominently in the discussions.
‘Germany and India are members of G4. We have been arguing for a long time that the global system needs to be brought up to date in tune with contemporary realities,’ Manmohan Singh said.
‘The new realities of the global scene have to be taken into account in looking at reform of the global structures of governance,’ he said.
Merkel agreed, saying Germany and India would work together for getting a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
She underlined the need to speed up the process of the UN reforms. Germany and India now hold rotating non-permanent seats in the Security Council.
A day after Germany said it will phase out all its 17 nuclear plants by 2022, Merkel agreed to help India in areas related to nuclear safety and pledged support for the development of renewable energy.
‘Germany will champion nuclear safety standards and help India achieve a broad energy energy base,’ she said.
‘We will ensure that the safety of nuclear plants are world-class,’ she said, adding that her country, which is a leader in wind and solar energy, was also ready to help in the area of renewable energy.
Manmohan Singh stressed that India needed nuclear power to meet its growing energy demand and to adhere to its self-imposed obligations to combat climate change.
‘Nuclear energy accounts for only three percent of total energy generated in our system. Our capacity is less than 5,000 MW. We want to raise it to 20,000 MW by 2020,’ he said.
‘If India is to meet its emission (control) targets, then nuclear energy and emphasis on renewable energy is required. We must have the option of make use of nuclear energy together with coal,’ he said.
Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade estimated to be 15.5 billion euros.
The two sides want to increase trade volumes to 20 billion euros by 2012.
