GOA (dpa-AFX) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to expand arms exports to India despite the much-criticized human rights situation in the South Asian country and its conflicts with Pakistan and China. At the end of his three-day trip to India, he justified this by saying that he wanted to “strengthen the sovereignty and independence” of the nuclear power. “That can also mean that we help them as part of our arms cooperation. I believe this is the right development in pragmatic policy.” Arms cooperation with India will “play a greater role in the future, and that is the right thing to do”.

At the end of his trip to India on Saturday, Scholz visited soldiers on the German Navy’s supply ship “Frankfurt am Main”, which is currently sailing in the Indo-Pacific together with the frigate “Baden-Württemberg”.

India is the world’s largest arms importer

According to the latest statistics from the Stockholm-based peace research institute Sipri, India is the largest arms importer in the world. In the years 2019 to 2023, the country’s share of all arms imports worldwide was 9.8 percent. The world’s fifth-largest economy continued to source the majority of its military equipment from Russia at 36%, although the trend is declining sharply. In the years 2009 to 2013, this figure was still 76 percent.

As the fifth-largest arms exporter in the world, Germany wants to help ensure that the Russian share of Indian imports continues to shrink. Scholz did say that there were no concrete agreements during his visit. However, the political basis for closer cooperation in this area had been laid and German companies were currently conducting negotiations on various projects. He was “very happy” about this development.

In the first half of 2024, India was in fourth place in the ranking of the most important recipient countries with approved German arms exports worth 153.75 million euros.

Six submarines for the Indian Navy

The expansion of the cooperation currently involves several major projects. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems would like to participate in the construction of six submarines for the Indian Navy. There is already a letter of intent from last year, but no decision has yet been made by the Indian government. Airbus would also like to sell A400M military transport aircraft to India, but contacts are still in the early stages.

A year ago, the German government also approved German participation in the construction of Indian battle tanks. In September 2023, Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) informed the Bundestag in a letter that two MTU diesel engines may be supplied for prototypes of a light tank that India is developing for use in the mountainous regions on the borders with the two nuclear powers Pakistan and China. The export application was submitted by Rolls-Royce Solutions Friedrichshafen. Four other companies were also granted export licenses for engine parts, production documents and a cooling system.

Conflicts with the nuclear powers China and Pakistan

India has been in conflict with China for 60 years over several areas along the almost 4,000-kilometer-long border. Relations between the two most populous countries in the world have been particularly tense since a clash between border guards four years ago that left both sides dead. Since then, both countries have significantly beefed up their border security.

India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads for more than 70 years over the Kashmir region, which is partially controlled by both countries and over which wars have already been fought with tens of thousands of deaths.

However, German arms exports to India are also controversial due to the human rights situation in the country. Amnesty International deplores, among other things, repression against religious minorities and restrictions on freedom of expression.

Scholz thanks German soldiers in the Indo-Pacific

Germany has had a strategic partnership with India for more than 20 years. This also includes the visit of the two German Navy ships to the port of Mormugao in the state of Goa and joint maneuvers with the Indian Navy.

During his visit to the supply ship, Scholz thanked the soldiers. They are helping to ensure freedom of navigation, he said. “It is important that our navy is involved in this.”

The two ships set off from Wilhelmshaven on May 7 and crossed the Atlantic to then enter the Pacific through the Panama Canal. Most recently, they sailed through the Taiwan Strait despite Chinese warnings and have been practising together with ships from the Indian Navy in recent days./mfi/DP/he