Jaishankar highlights steady, growing India-Germany ties; discusses education, UN reform, and Ariha Shah case
New Delhi, September 3. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on September 3, 2025 described India’s partnership with Germany as “enormously important”, stressing that the relationship is gaining substance and strategic weight in an uncertain global environment.
Speaking alongside German counterpart Johann Wadephul after talks in New Delhi, Jaishankar said India values Germany both as a nation and as the largest member of the European Union.
“Germany is central to our global calculations—politically, economically, and in multilateral forums like the G4 where we jointly push for UN Security Council reform,” he noted.
Calling the partnership “steady and predictable”, the Minister underlined that such reliability carries great value in world affairs today. He added that frequent meetings between the two sides reflect this growing importance.
On people-to-people ties, Jaishankar pointed to major progress in education and mobility, highlighting that India is now the largest source of foreign students in Germany. He welcomed Berlin’s skilled labour strategy as mutually beneficial and announced that both countries had agreed to issue gratis visas for short-term school and college exchanges.
Consular issues also figured in the talks, with Jaishankar raising the case of baby Ariha Shah, who has been in German foster care since 2021. He emphasised the need to safeguard her cultural rights and ensure she grows up in an Indian environment, urging that the matter be resolved swiftly.
Ariha, now four years old, was placed under the care of German authorities after an accidental injury when she was seven months old. India has consistently argued that her upbringing should reflect her linguistic, cultural, and religious roots.
