Paris [France], May 5 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (local time) held talks with the newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, discussing a range of bilateral issues including defence, space, civil nuclear cooperation and people-to-people linkages, as well as regional and global issues. The two leaders held talks at Elysee Palace, the official residence of the President of France, in Paris.
Addressing a press briefing, shortly before the departure of PM Modi back to India, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the two leaders who are also good friends held “extensive discussions on a range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance.” “The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on all the key areas of bilateral engagement, including in defence, space, civil nuclear cooperation and people-to-people linkages. They also discussed regional and global issues, including developments in Europe and the Indo-pacific,” the Foreign Secretary informed.

Kwatra also informed that this was the first visit of PM Modi to France since August 2019. “The two leaders have stayed in regular touch through calls and letters. They also met on the sidelines of the G20 summits last year. India and France are strong strategic partners. The two leaders are also good friends,” Kwatra said.

Talking about the re-election of the French President, Kwatra said that the renewed mandate of President Macron will allow the two countries to build on the existing strength and success of the strategic partnership. “President Macron’s renewed mandate and the conversations between Prime Minister Modi and the President today allow us to build on existing strength and success of India-France strategic partnership and also chart out the blueprint for its next phase,” Kwatra said. The Foreign Secretary also emphasized that “India and France see each other as key partners in the Indo-pacific.”

On the sidelines, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met his French counterpart, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during PM Modi’s visit. Following the talks, the French President also hosted a dinner for the Indian Prime Minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in France on Wednesday on the final leg of his three-day Europe visit and was warmly welcomed by members of the Indian diaspora in Paris.

Members of the Indian community were present outside the hotel where PM Modi reached after his arrival in Paris. Children were present in sizeable numbers and many of them sought autographs from the Prime Minister. People reciprocated the greetings of the people.

PM Modi said in a tweet after his arrival in Paris that France was one of India’s strongest partners. “Landed in Paris. France is one of India’s strongest partners, with our nations cooperating in diverse areas,” he said. PM Modi reached Paris on the final day of his three-day Europe visit, after his engagements in Germany and Denmark. (ANI)

India-France defence partnership strong, in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat: MEA

Paris [France], May 5 (ANI): Emphasizing the strong strategic and defence partnership between India and France, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday (local time) said that the defence cooperation between the two countries is in line with “our own domestic policy of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance)”. The Foreign Secretary made the remarks while addressing a press briefing at the conclusion of the bilateral and delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Answering a question of possible agreements during the talks on further up-gradation and orders of the French fighter aircraft Rafale, Foreign Secretary said that the talks did not necessarily cover individual platforms. “I think what you need to realise is when the two strategic partners speak, it covers the discussion in a format which is not necessarily focused on transactions on individual platforms,” Foreign Secretary Kwatra said.

Talking further about the defence cooperation between India and France, the Foreign Secretary reiterated that the two countries “are very strong strategic partners, and also have a very strong defence partnership”.

The context of defence partnership is defined in the case of our two countries by not just trade in different platforms, but it also extends to co-development, co-designing, co-manufacturing,” Kwatra said. “This is also very much in sync and in line with our own domestic policy of Atmanirbharta, which also of course extends very strongly in the field of defence,” he added.

The joint statement released by India and France at the end of the Prime Minister’s visit also talked about the greater involvement of France in “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India). “As seen in the timely delivery of the Rafale despite the pandemic, the two sides enjoy synergy in the field of defence,” the joint statement read.

“Taking forward this momentum, and based on their mutual trust, both sides agreed to find creative ways for France’s deeper involvement in the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) efforts in advanced defence technology, manufacturing and exports, including through encouraging increased industry to industry partnerships,” the statement added.

Both sides also welcomed the “ongoing intense cooperation across all defence domains” in the joint statement. Answering another question, on the possibility of co-production of Rafale aircraft with France in India by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Foreign Secretary Kwatra said that he could not comment specifically on that, but highlighted that there are many possibilities.

“With regard to the co-production, possibilities… look, it’s a very broad scope, and it’s a very broad field of substance, and anything can be discussed and is possible in terms of what two countries can eventually agree to co-produce,” Kwatra said. “So, I don’t have a very specific answer to give you on that, but I think, it includes many possibilities,” he added.

The comments came on the final day of the three-day Europe visit of PM Modi, during the course of which the Prime Minister visited Germany and Denmark, before making a brief stopover in Paris. “Delighted, as always, to meet my friend President @EmmanuelMacron. We talked at length about bilateral as well as global issues. India and France are proud developmental partners with our partnership spread across different sectors,” PM Modi said about his interactions with the French President.

PM Modi emplaned for India after the conclusion of his engagements in Paris on Wednesday (local time). (ANI)