New Delhi [India], April 12 (ANI): The German Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Dr Philipp Ackermann, said on Saturday that the new German government is committed to enhancing relations with India, particularly in defence, and noted that 'India will play a major role' in their foreign policy.

Ackermann also emphasised Germany's strong support for a free trade agreement between the European Union and India.

While speaking with ANI on the sidelines of the second day of the Carnegie Global Tech Summit, Ackermann said, 'The coalition treaty (between the two parties forming the next German government) clearly mentions India's name. India will be playing a major role in our foreign policy, and the new government will commit itself to intensifying bilateral relations in many areas, including defence, and I am very happy about it.'

Notably, CNN on Wednesday reported that German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz unveiled a new coalition deal between the country's two major centrist parties in a bold and optimistic speech in Berlin on Wednesday, hours after it was announced that an agreement to form a new government had been reached. The deal was presented by Merz, leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which emerged as the winner in February's federal election.

Ackermann further said, 'We are very keen on the free trade agreement, and we want to see it as soon as possible... It has to be decided between the European Union and the Indian Government. Germany is behind the doors and not at the table, so we will speak to both the EU and the Indian Government.'

Earlier on Friday, Herve Delphin, Ambassador of the European Union to India, had said the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations have gained momentum, with both sides aiming to conclude a substantial deal by the end of the year.

While speaking with ANI on the sidelines of Carnegie Global Tech Summit about India-EU FTA, Delphin said, 'Well, you know that the two sides are right into the negotiation phase and after the visit of the College of the Commission, the two leaders really mobilised and decided to take it forward with more energy and more momentum and instructed the two teams to get the FTA done by the end of the year, and I think there is a good momentum. We saw it in the last negotiating round that took place in Europe.'

He added, 'In the negotiating round, there are constant contacts between the two chief negotiators, the Commissioner from the European side and Piyush Goyal. There are difficult issues to discuss, no doubt about that, but I think the resolve of the political level to address them is there. So, we are very confident that we are going to get a substantial FTA by the end of the year.' (ANI)