Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Berlin on Monday to meet with his German counterpart Olaf Scholz, Indian media has reported.

Modi's first foreign trip of 2022 will take him to Germany, Denmark and France between May 2 and 4.

"My visit to Europe comes at a time when the region faces many challenges and choices," Modi said in a statement released before his departure.

The prime minister intended to "strengthen the spirit of cooperation" with European partners "who are important companions in India's quest for peace and prosperity," the statement added.

Germany's Scholz was quoted by the Indian Express daily on Monday as saying the "attack on Ukraine by Russia is on the top of the agenda" in the discussions with Modi.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Sunday that Modi will "share India's perspective on Ukraine during his three-nation tour."

"India's stance over the Russia-Ukraine war has been quite clear. We have always maintained that there should be cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, and that the path to the resolution goes through diplomacy and dialogue," Kwatra said.

After talks with Scholz in Berlin, Modi will head to Copenhagen to join the prime ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway at a two-day India-Nordic Summit from May 3.

The India-Nordic Summit will focus on subjects like post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovation and technology, renewable energy, the evolving global security scenario and India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi will also meet with leaders of the other four Nordic countries and review the progress in India's bilateral relations with them.

He will then make a brief stopover in France to see President Emmanuel Macron to "share assessments on various regional and global issues and will take stock of ongoing bilateral cooperation," the Indian statement said.

(With input from AFP, Xinhua)