Germany has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a special guest for the G-7 summit next month being hosted by it and he has accepted the invitation, the country's Ambassador to India Walter J Lindner said on Friday.
Interacting with journalists at the IWPC here, Lindner also said that Germany respects India's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"In the beginning, there were negotiations in the UN on the adoption of resolutions and there was an expectation that India would condemn the Russian invasion. But I think it has never damaged our relationship because we as Germans but also others in Europe have said, we respect Indian position," Lindner said.
The envoy said every country in the world has its own interest, its own neighbourhood, its own tradition, its own dependencies, some soft spots, some friendships.
"So every country has its right to calibrate according to its interest," he said.
The envoy said Germany was rapidly reducing its dependence on energy supplies from Russia.
He also said that Finland and Sweden seeking NATO membership has been driven by Russia's actions in Ukraine.
The envoy said some developing and strong countries from the South have been invited to G-7 meetings in the past.
"In four weeks' time, there is a G7 meeting in Bavaria. Usually, it's G7 countries but for a few years, there is a kind of habit to invite also some developing and strong countries from the South including India. We've invited PM Modi and he has agreed to come," he said.
He also referred to the initiatives announced by Quad countries concerning Indo-Pacific and said without mentioning any country said the spirit of "warmongering and aggression should be shown its place"
"What we've seen from our American, Japanese and Australian friends, they're seeing it as positive. Happy India is a part of it(Quad) as it shows we need a mutual assurance of friendship, cooperation. Spirit of warmongering and aggression should be shown its place," Lindner said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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