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PM arrives in Germany on 3-day visit

By Ramananda Sengupta in Hannover
April 22, 2006 23:52 IST
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's has arrived in Germany on a three-day visit.

He is accompanied by wife Gursharan Kaur, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and his media advisor Sanjaya Baru.

Complete Coverage: PM's two-nation trip

On Sunday morning, he will attend a breakfast meeting with German CEOs at his hotel before heading for the Rathaus, or Town Hall, which is just across the road from the hotel where he is staying, for a ceremonial reception by the Lord mayor of Hannover. He will then sign the City's Golden Book and exchange gifts with the Lord Mayor before returning to his suite in the Maritim Grand hotel.

At 3 pm, he will leave for the Herrenhausen Garten, where after a ceremonial military welcome he will go on a 'walkabout' with the German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel.

The two will then have an hour-long meeting and hold a joint press conference. In the evening, the prime minister will leave for the Hannover Congress Center for the inaugural ceremony of the Hannover trade fair.

Germany can help India's civil nuclear programme: PM

After a cultural performance by Kathak exponent Aditi Mangaldas, Dr Singh and the Chancellor will address the gathering. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the leaders will move to the Die Insel restaurant for a working dinner.

On Monday, April 24, the prime minister will arrive at the Hannover trade fair venue and inaugurate the India pavilion jointly with Chancellor Merkel. India is the partner country for this year's fair. The two leaders will then inaugurate with Indo-German Business summit and sign a few agreements. The German Minister for Economy and Technology will then pay a brief courtesy call on Dr Singh before he returns to his hotel.

At about 12.30 that afternoon, he will leave for Berlin, an hour away, where he will arrive in time for lunch at his suite in the Adlon Kempinski.

India's German connection

Around 3 pm, he will call on the German President Horst Koehler and sign the guest book at the Schloss Bellevue before returning to his hotel, where German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will pay courtesy calls. This will be followed by a meeting with German Indologists and a reception hosted by Indian Ambassador to Germany and members of the small Indian community in Germany.

On Tuesday, April 25, Dr Singh will begin the day with a meeting with Indo-Germany parliamentary group, and then leave for a ceremonial reception at the Reichstag building where he will meet with the president of the Bundestag. He will then leave for Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, where he will arrive around 8 pm local time.

'Germany, India are natural partners'

The next day, April 26, Dr Singh will be given ceremonial welcome at presidential palace, or Durmen residence, which will be followed by a meeting with President Karimov and the delegation level talks. Dr Singh will be the second Indian prime minister to visit the nation since P V Narasimha Rao's visit in 1993.

After a joint press conference with President Karimov, Dr Singh will lay wreaths at the monument of humanism and independence in Tashkent and at the Shastri Monument before leaving for lunch at his hotel.

In the afternoon, he will inaugurate the Jawaharlal Nehru Indo-Uzbek center of information technology which is funded by India, and meet members of the Indian community in Tashkent before attending a state reception hosted by president Karimov at 6.30 pm. 

'The Uzbek people love India'

He will leave Tashkent at 8 pm local time and is expected to return to Delhi just before midnight.

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Ramananda Sengupta in Hannover