Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added a cultural highlight to their diplomatic engagement on Monday by flying a kite depicting Lord Hanuman at the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad.
The German Chancellor began his maiden two-day visit to India with a stop at the Sabarmati Ashram, where he joined Prime Minister Modi in paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi. After offering floral tributes and signing the visitors’ book, the leaders proceeded to the Sabarmati Riverfront to inaugurate the International Kite Festival 2026.
Visuals from the event showed Modi and Merz interacting with participants and enjoying the festive atmosphere. Their joint kite-flying drew attention from onlookers and symbolised the blend of cultural celebration and diplomatic ties. With Makar Sankranti approaching, the three-day festival features 135 international kite flyers from 50 countries, 65 participants from across India, and 871 local flyers from Gujarat.
Later in the day, Modi and Merz held delegation-level talks at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar. The discussions focused on strengthening the India-Germany strategic partnership, which recently marked 25 years. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also attended the meeting.
The leaders reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, technology, education, skilling, and mobility, while exploring collaboration in defence, security, science, innovation, research, and sustainable development. Modi emphasised that India and Germany will work together to combat terrorism, calling it a “threat to humanity.”
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