India-France strategic partnership growing from strength to strength: EAM Jaishankar

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IANS | 06 Mar, 2024
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday said that the strategic partnership between India and France is growing from strength to strength.

Earlier, EAM Jaishankar received France Secretary General Anne-Marie Descotes in Delhi who is on a visit to India.

In a post on X, the minister expressed confidence that the Foreign Office Consultations and Strategic Space Dialogue will further enhance the momentum of bilateral ties.

"Good to receive Secretary General Anne-Marie Descotes of France this morning. Our strategic partnership is growing from strength to strength. Confident that the Foreign Office Consultations and Strategic Space Dialogue will further enhance its momentum," EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X.

With the establishment of a strategic partnership in 1998, India-France ties have been taking giant leaps with close cooperation across a broad spectrum of sectors from education to trade to defence.

French President Emmanuel Macron marked his third visit to India this year on Republic Day after 2018 during which a comprehensive defence industrial roadmap was discussed aiming to foster collaboration in robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, platforms, and cyber defence.

In addition, an MoU was inked between New Space India Ltd and France's Arianespace to enhance cooperation in satellite launches and advancing space exploration initiatives.

It was also decided to designate 2026 as the "India France Year of Innovation".

President Macron also visited India during the G20 Summit last year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Paris last year as a Guest of Honour on French National Day on July 14, 2023.

The visit also commemorated the 25th anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership.

The two leaders acknowledged the strong India-France civil nuclear ties, and good progress in the discussion for the Jaitapur nuclear plant project and welcomed the continuing engagement of both sides to expand bilateral cooperation

Late last month, Jean-Marc Sere-Charlet, the French Consul General in Mumbai, praised PM Modi, saying he is "a friend of France. He has proved it on different occasions. His relationship with President Macron is very strong".