Germany wants India to play an important role at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and is willing to step up investments in infrastructure, including energy, roads, airports and port sectors.

German Economics and Labour Minister Wolfgang Clement on Monday met Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and discussed a wide range of issues including the ongoing reforms in India and the need for stepping up investments, especially in infrastructure.

?We spoke about the objective of economic reforms, including in agriculture. We want to engage in India?s infrastructure development especially roads, airports, harbours and energy sectors,? he said after the meeting at North Block.

Although statistics do not show the extent of investments carried out by German companies through their subsidiaries, he said ?it could improve. That?s why we are here. We are talking to Finance and Commerce & Industry ministries?. ?We want to be present more in the Indian market, especially in the small and medium scale sectors, and infrastructure,? he said.

Clement, who is here with a team of CEOs of leading German companies, said India should play an ?important role? in negotiations at WTO while liberalising its own trade régime further. He will attend the 15th session of two-day Indo-German Joint Commission on Industrial and Economic Co-operation that began on Monday. Chidambaram will lead the Indian delegation.

The two sides also discussed ways to boost investment as there was considerable scope for German investment in areas like IT, biotechnology, telecom, small and medium enterprises and infrastructure development.

The Indo-German Joint Commission has assumed importance for the Centre in view of the falling German investment in India in the recent years. These investments have averaged $125 million annually in the last ten years, which is meagre when compared to the overseas investments made by Germany in other nations and taking into account India?s true potential.

<I>Source: Times of India</I>