German foreign minister Johann Wadephul, ahead of his two-day visit to India, described the country as a “key Indo-Pacific partner.” Wadephul arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday morning to begin his official visit.He highlighted the growing potential of the India-Germany strategic partnership, spanning security cooperation, innovation, technology, and skilled labour exchange.“India is a key partner in the Indo-Pacific. Our relations are close – politically, economically and culturally. The expansion of our strategic partnership has great potential: from security cooperation to innovation and technology to skilled labour recruitment. India’s voice, that of the world’s most populous country and largest democracy, is also being heard beyond the strategically important Indo-Pacific region. That is why I am travelling to Bangalore and New Delhi today for talks. India plays a key role in shaping the international order of our century. As democracies, we are natural partners in this endeavour. In the face of massive geopolitical challenges, we want & need to preserve the rules-based international order together,” the German foreign office said through a post on X. According to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) Wadephul’s visit is scheduled for September 2 to 3. He will first visit the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru before proceeding to New Delhi. On September 3, Wadephul is set to meet commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, followed by discussions with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, before departing the country the same day.Germany remains one of India’s most valued European partners. The two nations share a robust strategic partnership that has steadily deepened since diplomatic relations were established in 1951, with 2021 marking 70 years of ties, as per the MEA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German chancellor Olaf Scholz have engaged in frequent meetings, both bilaterally and on the sidelines of major global summits, meeting six times over the past two years.Germany’s deputy envoy to India, Georg Enzweiler, also criticized the US imposition of tariffs on various countries, calling them “obstacles to free trade.” The remarks come after the US notified India of additional tariffs that took effect from August 27.Speaking to the media, Enzweiler emphasized that countries should aim to keep tariffs as low as possible. “Tariffs are obstacles to free trade. We would always be in favour of reducing tariffs to the minimum level,” he said.