Gandhinagar, Jan 13 (NationPress) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz departed for his home country on Tuesday after wrapping up a fruitful two-day trip to India.

At Ahmedabad Airport, he was bid farewell by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, and other notable guests.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Merz engaged in delegation-level discussions at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar, agreeing to elevate the bilateral relationship to a significantly enhanced level, particularly in defence, space, and other vital and emerging technologies.

In a post on X, PM Modi expressed, "It was a pleasure hosting Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad. His presence has injected fresh energy into India–Germany relations as we celebrate 25 years of our Strategic Partnership and 75 years of diplomatic engagement. We are privileged that he chose India for his inaugural visit to Asia, reflecting his strong commitment to fostering robust India-Germany ties."

"We concurred on enhancing our relationship with deeper collaboration in defence, space, and other critical and emerging technologies. Our discussions also encompassed joint climate action initiatives, trusted supply chains, education, sports, and strengthening cultural and people-to-people connections," he added.

Both leaders participated in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront, enjoying the colorful and energetic cultural celebration. They even took part in flying kites, fully engaging in the festivities.

Additionally, they interacted with CEOs from both Germany and India. PM Modi acknowledged that bilateral trade has reached unprecedented heights.

"Our meeting with Indian and German CEOs highlighted that close collaboration between our two nations is crucial for global prosperity. The growing trade and investment connections have invigorated our partnership, with our bilateral trade hitting an all-time high as numerous German companies invest in India. We aim to deepen our economic ties further in the future," PM Modi stated on X.

On Monday, India and Germany formalized several agreements spanning sectors like trade, technology, health, and renewable energy. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that 19 agreements were signed alongside various policy announcements aimed at enhancing cooperation across strategic, economic, and cultural domains.

Both leaders acknowledged the continuous growth in bilateral trade and investment, noting that trade reached a record high in 2024, a trend expected to persist into 2025.

The total India-Germany trade in goods and services exceeded $50 billion in 2024, representing over 25 percent of India’s trade with the EU.

An official statement indicated that the leaders endorsed a Joint Declaration of Intent to bolster economic cooperation through the German-Indian CEO Forum, promoting business collaboration bolstered by the well-established presence of German firms in India and vice versa.

They also welcomed advancements in cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, critical minerals, digitalization, telecommunications, health, and the bioeconomy, which fortifies the Innovation and Technology Partnership Roadmap.

Both sides expressed a strong commitment to establishing an institutional dialogue throughout the semiconductor value chain via a new Joint Declaration of Intent on Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership.

They reaffirmed the importance of enhanced collaborative efforts between the Indian and German semiconductor sectors. PM Modi welcomed the establishment of the Global Capability Centre (GCC) by the German technology firm Infineon in GIFT City last March.