The latter week of February is when Scholz is anticipate to visit India; the two parties are now exploring the dates of February 25 and 26.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, scheduled to visit India later this month, around the time the Russia-Ukraine war will have lasted a year. On Monday, Jens Plötner, Scholz’s advisor on foreign and security policy, said it is crucial that Delhi’s voice “heard clearly” and “listened to” in Moscow.
The last week of February is when Scholz anticipated to visit India; the two parties are now talking about the dates of February 25 and 26. On February 24, the Russia-Ukraine War would have been ongoing for a full year. Scholz’s first solo visit is an indication that Delhi is key in Berlin’s geopolitical calculations.
The two nations are collaborating on a number of issues, according to Plötner, who met with his counterpart National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Monday to lay the groundwork for Scholz’s visit. He identified geopolitics, economic potential, and climate change as the three main areas of potential cooperation.
Calling it a “classic triple-win situation”, he underlined the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “Now, obviously as wonderful as our bilateral relations are, they are not evolving in a kind of clean environment. We embedded in a very messy international situation, which is full of challenges. The Russian war against Ukraine. This is a European war. But it’s a war with global repercussions,” he said.
He emphasised that the immediate effects would be “food shortages” and “skyrocketing energy prices,” which would cause inflation. But added that there was another global implication as well: “It has decided that a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council has decided to violate the charter of the United Nations by invading a smaller country simply because it can and is stronger and bigger, and that cannot go unchecked. Because else, in my opinion, the world would turn into a jungle where the strongest would reign.
Plötner highlighted the alignment of Berlin and Delhi when he said, “Now, in India, we feel we have a partner. Who believes in the rules-based international order. It is a strong proponent of the multilateral world and multilateral system, a believer in the United Nations. To explore how we respond to this global disorder and how we may make those values prevail. Which we think to be the finest foundation for peaceful cohabitation on our planet among the family of nations. We join together, working on the basis of these principles.
Asked about India’s possible role in mediating between Russia and Ukraine, he said: “I have great admiration for Indian diplomacy. We don’t have a shortage of mediators. But we have an acute shortage of Russian willingness to stop this war and get out of its neighbouring country.”
“I think the voice of New Delhi is one. Which is heard very clearly and which is listened to in Moscow. And that makes it all the more important,” he said. Doval had met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, where they discussed the strategic ties. On China’s aggression on India’s border, Plötner said, “China is an important global player. So there is hardly any discussion in the diplomatic realm which doesn’t also at one point turn to China.”
Plötner commented on the unrest at the border between India and China: “We see the border tensions with anxiety. This is not a region where armaments should speak. And I saw an openness to dialogue from the Indian side. Doval and Plötner also talked on the state of affairs in Afghanistan.