NEW DELHI: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent visit to India marked a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in defence cooperation. Here are the top ten quotes from his address at the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business 2024:
On Deepening Defense Ties:“Our overall message is clear, we need more cooperation, not less.”
Military Collaboration:“At our inter-governmental consultations with India, we also want to deepen defence cooperation and agree to bring our militaries together.”
Political Solutions:“Let us do whatever we can to bring about political solutions to these conflicts. Solutions that are based on international law and the principles of the UN Charter.”
Global Security Concerns:“If Russia is to succeed in its illegal brutal war against Ukraine, there would be repercussions far beyond Europe’s borders. Such an outcome would endanger global security and prosperity as a whole.”
Middle East Tensions:“The Middle East remains another constant source of tension and a stark reminder of the human cost of division and the world’s inability to reach political solutions.”
Potential Conflicts:“The Korean Peninsula, the South and East China Sea all remain flash points of potential conflicts, even though we all hope that these conflicts can be contained.”
The 21st Century Challenge:“The world of the 21st century is something where progress is the question we have to work for.”
Multipolar World Dynamics:“In a multipolar world, there is no global policeman, no single watchdog monitoring our common rules and institutions.”
Call to Action: “Every one of us is called upon to defend and uphold them.”
India’s Growth:“Today, we are meeting in the world’s biggest democracy, the fastest-growing major economy, with the most rapidly expanding renewable energy sector of any major economy.”