German President Joachim Gauck to visit Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 6: German President Joachim Gauck and his wife Daniela Schadt will reach here Friday on a three-day visit.

"Gauck will visit Infosys campus in the electronics city and German automotive major Bosch Ltd (in the city's southern suburb) for a firsthand account of their contribution in services and manufacturing sectors," an official told IANS on Thursday.

The German President is on a six-day state visit to India since Tuesday with an 80-member delegation comprising representatives of the German cabinet, parliament and business community.

Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj will host a dinner in honour of Gauck on Friday night at the Raj Bhavan.

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj will host a dinner in honour of Gauck on Friday.

"Gauck will Saturday visit a central school at MEG centre in the city to interact with the students and the German community living in the city," the official said.

He will later visit the Gubbi coir project, an Indo-German collaboration, at Thagatur hamlet in Tumkur district, about 70 km from here, to study its production process.

"Being the first visit by a German head of state to this city underlines the importance we attach to the relations with Karnataka and its state capital," German Deputy Consul General Hans-Gunter Loffler said in a statement here.

Gauck will meet civil society's representatives, visit firms providing vocational training and discuss development cooperation project with officials and experts in the field.

Even as Gauck will be busy with his official engagements in the city, the first lady will visit Bal Bhavan (children's palace) at the famous Cubbon park where Unicef will present projects for child protection.

Later, Schadt will also go to the child protection centre at Don Bosco Mane in the city's southwestern suburb and interaction with the young beneficiaries.

Gauck and his delegation will leave for Yangon early Sunday by a special German Air Force aircraft.

IANS