German Chancellor Merkel to visit India next year

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel Saturday said she would visit India next year after accepting an invitation from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was on a short visit to Berlin.

“I will visit India next year,” Merkel told reporters in a joint press conference with Manmohan Singh.

She said the prime minister had invited her and she would be in Delhi in 2011 to mark 60 years of India-Germany diplomatic ties.

Manmohan Singh said that Germany will organize a Year of Germany in India beginning September 2011, and India will organize the Days of India in Germany during 2012-13.

“I have invited Chancellor Merkel to visit India next year, and I look forward to hosting her in Delhi,” he said.

(Sarwar Kashani can be contacted at s.kashani@ians.in)