Leaders of Australia, Germany, France to visit India in next few months

New Delhi: India is expected to witness a flurry of visits by top foreign leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the next few months amid mounting global concerns over adverse impact of the Ukraine conflict on food and energy security.

The primary focus of these visits are expected to be on expansion of bilateral cooperation in areas of energy, trade, technology, defence production, health-care and people-to-people exchanges, people familiar with the preparations for the visits told.

A front-burner issue in the talks is set to be the conflict in Ukraine and its global implications including on food and energy security, they said.

While Chancellor Scholz is expected to be in India later next month, Albanese is set to visit the country in early part of March, the people said.

The French side was initially exploring the visit by Macron in the first week of March but nothing has been firmed up yet, they said, adding the trip may even be advanced or could be pushed back.

They said dates for the visits have not been locked yet.

President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will visit India later this month to grace the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.

The foreign ministers of G-20 countries will also be in New Delhi to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of the powerful grouping which is likely to take place on March 1 and 2.

Several foreign leaders will also visit India to attend the ‘Raisina Dialogue’ that is scheduled to be held from March 2 to 4. It is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics.

Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, is also likely to visit India in the next few months.

Officials of India and Saudi Arabia are also looking at a bilateral visit to New Delhi by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

About German Chancellor Scholz’s proposed visit to India, the people cited above said both sides are keen on enhancing cooperation in areas of trade, defence, clean energy and climate change.