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German President Steinmeier accorded ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan

German President Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday morning by President Ram…

German President Steinmeier accorded ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan

(Photo: Twitter/@PIB_India)

German President Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday morning by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The German President, who is on a four-day visit to India, inspected a guard of honour at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was with President Kovind to welcome President Steinmeier.

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Praising India’s achievements and plurality, the German President said that the purpose of his visit is to boost the economic journey of the two nations.

“We know about India’s rich culture, heritage, multiple religions and ethnic groups living together – I know it is not easy but you are quite successful,” he said.

“We are looking at admiration the manner in which India is dealing with its diversity,” he added.

“We have our common economic interest. Germany has invested heavily in India more than 1800 companies. German companies have created more than 4300 jobs in India,” he said adding that there is still a huge potential in the relationship.

The German President will be meeting PM Modi later today to discuss ways to broaden ties in trade and investment. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe.

He will also be meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

President Steinmeier, who arrived in India on Thursday, was received at New Delhi by Minister of State (MoS) Drinking Water and Sanitation SS Ahluwalia at the airport in New Delhi.

On Friday, the German President visited Varanasi where he addressed students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and also witnessed Ganga Arati. The President, who is accompanied by his wife Elke Büdenbender, also visited Sarnath where he was shown Ashoka’s Lion Capital – adopted by India as the nation’s emblem.

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