In recent years, virtually no other Asian country has seen such a rise in prominence in German foreign policy as India.
Against the backdrop of China’s rise and its hegemonic ambitions, the Federal Government’s 2020 Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific identified India as one of Germany’s key partners in the region. Federal Chancellor Merz made his first trip to Asia in January 2026 to India rather than China. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, for his part, described India as the most important strategic partner for Germany and Europe in the Indo-Pacific region. New agreements, such as those on trilateral cooperation and on migration and mobility in 2022, as well as the first fleet visits and military maneuvers, have since further deepened cooperation and thus underscore the new quality of bilateral relations. The geopolitical changes of recent years have led to a greater convergence of interests, as an analysis of the various policy areas shows.
About the Authors:
Christian Wagner is a professor. He has been a member of the Asia Research Group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin since 2003.