'Both India, Pak should exercise restraint': Heiko Maas

German's foreign minister Heiko Maas is in India on a three-day official visit led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Maas, 53, a Social Democrat in Berlin's ruling Grand Coalition, told in an e-mail interview that the nullification of Article 370 is a 'domestic' matter, but that India and Pakistan should hold political dialogue, exercise restraint, and 'refrain from fanning the flames'. Edited excerpts

As democracies, India and Germany share common values. We actively support a rules-based international order. There are over 30 different consultation and dialogue formats between our two countries. That shows how close and friendly our relations are. The aim of this visit is to continue working to intensify our relations and create even greater momentum in our cooperation.

India stands for diversity and tolerance. We primarily see the constitutional amendments as an internal matter for India. As a close democratic partner to India, it is important to us - and we have expressed this view clearly - that the rights of the local population in Jammu & Kashmir enshrined in the Constitution must be respected.

Naturally, we are very aware of the regional impact. That is precisely why I have also discussed this topic in depth with my Indian and Pakistani counterparts. By the way, these talks took place on the telephone and not during my visit to Pakistan, which was at an earlier stage. It was important to us that neither side did anything to escalate the situation.

 Both sides should continue to use their diplomatic channels to foster political dialogue.

The conflict between India and Pakistan is certainly not a recent development. We urge India and Pakistan to exercise restraint - including in speech - and to refrain from fanning the flames. Irrespective of that, however, it is obvious that cross-border terrorism must be stamped out permanently. Naturally, that goes for any type of terrorism and extremism. And this is not least in Pakistan's own fundamental interests.

Around 1,700 German companies are active in India. That is a remarkable number. In recent years, India's rating in the Ease of Doing Business index has constantly improved. That is a good sign, and it has been noted by the German business sector. However, this development is offset by various non-tariff and administrative barriers that are still in place. Germany is willing to support India in improving the investment conditions.

Germany is the EU's most influential power. Yet, the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) remains a non-starter.

I firmly believe that an EU-India Free Trade Agreement would have an extremely positive impact for both sides. That is why we want to urge both India and the EU to resume their talks on this topic. But to achieve this, both sides must be willing to compromise.

Germany has a very restrictive and responsible arms export policy, on which there is broad consensus in the German political sphere. That does not mean we do no export any arms to India. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. We see India as an anchor of stability and a key partner in the region. Naturally, that is always taken into account in our decisions on arms export licences.

In recent years, the rules-based world order has increasingly come under pressure. We want to counter this development through the Alliance for Multilateralism. We firmly believe that we can achieve more as a team player than by going it alone. That is why I am very grateful to my Indian counterpart Dr [S] Jaishankar for attending the Alliance for Multilateralism event. I hope that India will continue participating in the alliance.

I see India as one of the most exciting places to visit in the world. And many people in Germany feel the same way because we associate India with a diverse history and culture that date back millennia, as well as with vibrant traditions and an emerging economy. I certainly don't want to miss the opportunity to enjoy Indian cuisine on its home ground.