00:00So I would say that transformation is maybe too big a word.
00:04Indo-German relations have been excellent for years, but what we have seen in the last couple of years,
00:08last four years, five years, is that we really reached a next level.
00:11And that covers many areas where so far we haven't done a lot of progress or even a lot of
00:21work.
00:22I tell you a couple of those and that's I think also the achievements.
00:25I think what we have done in a remarkable way is setting up fair and legal migration of skilled labour
00:35from India to Germany.
00:36And that's a success so far.
00:37We have seen so many Indians learning German in an area of nurses, caregivers that have decided to go to
00:47Germany
00:47and are welcomed in Germany, got good jobs in Germany.
00:50But also apprentices, you know, for craftsmen, we have seen IT engineers working, moving to Germany.
00:58And above all, we have seen the number of students, Indian students going to Germany and study there, really exploding.
01:05You know, we have now 60,000 students in Germany and that shows, you know, how interesting Germany is for
01:10Indians.
01:11The second area is maybe what we would call defense cooperation.
01:15We have seen a lot of progress, you know, when it comes to the cooperation of the armed forces,
01:21but also when it comes to defense production and purchases.
01:26And, you know, the most visible thing is the submarines which are, you know, very close to be ordered.
01:34So the signature will happen in the next month, I would say, maybe weeks.
01:40That's a new area of cooperation, it's a game changer in many ways.
01:45And I think one should also mention that we have developed this cooperation in the area of sustainability,
01:56where this partnership for green and sustainable development between India and Germany has done a lot to promote and to
02:06develop projects in the area of sustainability
02:10that are top notch cutting edge technology, very interesting projects.
02:14And that is, you know, shows how granular our relations have become and how differentiated we look at things.
02:22So I think I'm very happy now that I'm leaving to see that things have developed in the right way
02:28in the last way.
02:29Ambassador, one of the biggest highlight during your tenure was the signing of the FTA, India EU FTA.
02:34How optimistic are you of it's coming into force and what does it bring for Germany and also for India?
02:42So I think that's really a milestone, the FTA.
02:45We will have it signed by the end of this year and I think in the first six months of
02:49next year we'll have it implemented.
02:51That's a quick time and I think we can be very happy and proud of both sides, India and Germany
02:57and the European Union.
02:58Now for us that means that trading will be way easier than before.
03:05And I think that also will make investment way easier than before.
03:10So I think India through the FTA will be an interesting location, an interesting country, an interesting area to invest
03:20in, to trade with than before.
03:22And that is also valid for the other direction.
03:26So we have now more than 2,000 German companies doing business here in India.
03:33We have 880, so almost 1,000 Indian companies doing business or being invested in Germany.
03:41And that's a huge plus.
03:43We are very happy that Indian private sector whom we consider a very, very agile, extremely globally thinking private sector
03:50is investing in Germany, is putting shop up in Germany.
03:57So we want to make sure that the FTA is a two-way street, not a one-way street.
04:01Of course.
04:02Ambassador, it has been more than four years to the Russia-Ukraine war.
04:06I have in fact done many interviews with you on that.
04:09Do you see any realistic prospects for negotiations?
04:12And Prime Minister Modi during his meeting with President Putin said this is not an era of war.
04:17How does that message still resonate in Europe?
04:20It resonates in Europe a lot.
04:22It doesn't resonate in Russia, I'm afraid.
04:24You know, I think he said that, I think three years ago, and look at what happens.
04:30We are in a situation where the Russian ordinary citizen all of a sudden feels that there is a war.
04:40You know, the infrastructure is being destroyed.
04:45So I don't see any movement by the Russian leadership towards a peaceful settlement.
04:52I say let's put it that way, not even a ceasefire is possible, let alone a peaceful settlement.
04:59So I think the war has developed in a direction that should be of concern to Russia.
05:05But when I listen to what comes out of Moscow, I don't, I'm not very hopeful that things will change
05:12in Moscow.
05:13I think the Ukrainian side has always said that they are ready.
05:17President Zelenskyy has made many proposals to sit together with President Putin and try to negotiate.
05:25That has been refused by the Russian side.
05:27And so I am not optimistic, unfortunately.
05:31Ambassador India has maintained that it is not neutral, but it is on the side of peace.
05:35Has Europe's understanding of India's concerns, especially energy security concerns over Russia,
05:42all evolved over the past few years?
05:44Yeah, I think that it is very important and it's good that we talk to each other on this matter.
05:50I think we completely are convinced by the fact that India is unhappy with this war.
05:56You know, as you say, India is a country that cherishes peace and wants peaceful solutions.
06:03And so therefore I think we agree on that.
06:06There is no doubt that India has different relations with Russia than Europe has right now is also understandable.
06:12But we will raise this issue with India time and again and we will talk and listen to each other.
06:20I saw Dr. Jay Shankar yesterday for a farewell visit and we had this discussion with him.
06:25And I think India is such a good partner that, you know, we can exchange views very openly.
06:34There is no hiding of anything.
06:37So I think it will be a topic of conversation in the coming years.
06:49I think there is no hiding of this.
06:49I went to school with people in the coming years.
06:49I think there is so much change in life, but you know,
06:50you know, especially when you're using the following,
06:50You
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