- Wednesday, April 23, 2025
French president Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne also called on the PM and briefed him on the progress in bilateral ties.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN national security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Thursday (6) held wide-ranging talks with French president Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne in New Delhi with a focus on prime minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Paris next week. It was reported that the French official apprised Doval of the situation in Paris as violence erupted across a number of cities of France after the police shot a teenager dead.
Bonne reached the Indian capital for a day’s trip on Thursday to finalise the bilateral agenda and possible outcomes of Modi’s upcoming visit.
The Indian leader is set to attend this year’s Bastille Day Parade as the guest of honour in the French capital on July 14.
Bonne also called on the prime minister and briefed him on the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
During the visit, Modi will hold extensive talks with Macron who invited the former in May. The visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between India and France.
The defence and security cooperation between India and France has been on a major upswing since New Delhi’s procurement of 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation.
French defence major Safran is also set to jointly develop an engine with India’s relevant state-run defence manufacturers for military aircraft.
People familiar with talks between Doval and Bonne said the main agenda of the discussions was preparations for Modi’s visit and overall strategic cooperation. Modi’s trip to Paris will be special as it will be the first Bastille Day visit by a foreign leader in Macron’s current term, they said.
It is understood that Bonne apprised Doval about the current security scenario in Paris. Various French cities witnessed violent protests after police shot and killed a teenager near Paris last week.
A 269 member tri-services contingent of the Indian armed forces on Thursday left for Paris to participate in the Bastille Day parade. Three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will also take part in the flypast over the Champs Elysees on the occasion along with French jets.
France has been a key partner for India in a range of sectors including defence, space and nuclear technology. In July last year, French Safran Group announced setting up of a production facility in Hyderabad to produce parts and components for advanced aircraft engines with an investment of Euro 36 million besides a big-ticket joint venture with state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
(With PTI inputs)
