Olaf Scholz wants to use his first visit to India as German chancellor this weekend to strengthen business ties with the world’s most populous democracy and deepen cooperation in areas including green energy, climate protection and defense.
Scholz also plans to discuss Russia’s war on Ukraine with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when Europe and its allies are struggling to maintain economic pressure on the Kremlin and isolate President Vladimir Putin.
While Germany and its European Union partners have imposed tough sanctions on Russia, including a ban or restrictions on its oil and coal, India has continued to import Russian fossil fuels, partly at a steep discount.
