German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday spoke of India as a large and highly dynamic nation, which presented ‘never-ending possibilities’ for cooperation.

In her weekly Internet video address three days before leaving for New Delhi at the start of an Asian tour, Merkel said that the first inter-governmental consultations at the cabinet level will be the main highlight of her India visit.

This comes over a decade after the two countries took their relationship to a higher level by agreeing on a strategic partnership. Merkel told an interviewer that she will be taking along with her five cabinet ministers and representatives of several ministries for the Indo-German consultations.

Her visit will also mark the 60th anniversary of the ‘successful diplomatic relations’ between the two countries. In addition, she will attend the opening of the 'Year of Germany in India' with a concert in New Delhi.

"The theme of this event speaks for the never-ending possibilities for cooperation between Germany and India," she said. "This time really there are several reasons for my travel to India."

In the field of bilateral cooperation, the chancellor referred to Germany's two-pronged approach to promote India's economic and social development by fostering industries and by assisting the government in combating poverty. Industrial development-oriented economic cooperation between the two countries in the past decades has been progressing so well that the two countries have now become competitors in certain markets, she said.

Germany shared the Indian government's view that promotion of education and vocational training is the key to combat poverty. Therefore, Germany will continue to support projects and programmes for promoting scientific education and vocational training as part of its development assistance under the motto ‘help for self-help’, Merkel said.

Speaking on India's refusal to agree on internationally-binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Chancellor Merkel showed understanding for India's position and said ‘even today India has relatively lower emissions’ than many other countries.

At present, China has much higher per capita emissions than India, she said.

"However, we have to get India on board, even though it looks difficult at present to convince India about binding commitments," she said.

She welcomed the Indian government's decision to set voluntary targets to reduce carbon emissions as an ‘important step’ towards reducing global warming. Merkel said she is looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Indian leaders because direct talks are more important than telephone conversations and ‘therefore I am quite pleased about the visit’.

"I hope that it will be a successful visit".

In Singapore, the second stop of her three-day Asian tour, Merkel will raise with the country's leaders human rights violations, curb on press freedom, restrictions on assembly and other issues which are criticised in the west.

She described Singapore as a key nation in the Asian region and stressed the need to remain in dialogue in spite of its deficits in many areas.