- Bilateral Cooperation: India and France reviewed defence, civil nuclear energy, space, digital, and AI cooperation, highlighting progress under the Special Global Strategic Partnership.
- Economic & Educational Goals: Discussions focused on doubling bilateral trade, enhancing Indian student mobility to France, and advancing the India-EU free trade agreement.
- Global & Regional Issues: Both sides exchanged views on Middle East and Ukraine developments, climate change, health cooperation, and Indo-Pacific strategic dialogues.
India and France on Monday carried out a comprehensive review of their bilateral ties in areas of civil nuclear energy, defence, space and digital cooperation against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict. In their talks in Paris, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of the French Foreign Ministry Martin Briens also exchanged views on the evolving situation in the Middle East. The talks were held under the framework of India-France Foreign Office Consultations.
Separately, Foreign Secretary Misri also met French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Emmanuel Bonne, the diplomatic advisor to the French president. Misri travelled to Paris after concluding a three-day trip to the US. “Both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made in various facets of the bilateral relationship, especially in context of the elevation of ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership and the visit of President (Emmanuel) Macron to India in February,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Misri-Briens meeting.
It said the two sides also reviewed cooperation on economic security, the shared ambition of increasing movement of Indian students to France, and the goal of doubling bilateral trade, especially in light of the conclusion of negotiations for the India-EU free trade agreement.
“The discussions encompassed strategic areas of bilateral cooperation including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital, AI, institutional dialogue mechanisms, and initiatives fostering people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties,” the MEA said in a statement.
“The two sides also exchanged views on global issues such as cooperation in environment, climate change and health, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, trilateral dialogues, joint development projects in third countries, as well as developments in Middle East and Ukraine,” it said.