- Thursday, February 27, 2025
Boosting defence relations is likely to be a key focus when Modi meets French president Emmanuel Macron during the former’s two-day visit starting July 13.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to France kicking off on Thursday (13) would be both rich in “substance” and set “new benchmark” for strategic partnership between the two nations in years to come, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said in a press conference in New Delhi on the eve of the prime minister’s departure.
Boosting defence relations is likely to be a key focus when Modi meets French president Emmanuel Macron with the ground being prepared to announce New Delhi’s procurement of 26 naval variant of the Rafale jets from Paris besides a deal to jointly develop an aircraft engine in the South Asian nation.
The Indian prime minister will attend the annual Bastille Day Parade in Paris on Friday (14) and hold talks with Macron to take bilateral cooperation in areas such as defence, space, trade and investment.
Modi will make a stop at Abu Dhabi, UAE, during his return on Sunday (15). There, he will hold wide-ranging talks with UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to take forward bilateral ties in areas of energy, food security, fintech and defence.
Kwatra ruled out the recent riots in several cities of France having an impact on Modi’s visit, saying they are France’s “internal matter”.
“It is a matter internal to France and from our perspective, we do not see any impact on the visit whatsoever,” he said in the press conference.
While declining to comment on specific outcomes in the spheres of defence in the Modi-Macron talks, the official said ways to move the engagement towards “co-production, co-development and co-design” of military hardware and linking it to India’s priorities for self-reliance is expected to be part of the discussions.
On the 1650 megawatt nuclear power reactors in Jaitapur in the western state of Maharashtra, Kwatra said both sides are engaged in intense discussions to resolve all issues including those relating civil nuclear liability, cost and techno commercial matters.
“The visit of the prime minister to France would be both rich in substance and in form and we would believe that it would set a new benchmark for our strategic partnership in years ahead,” Kwatra said addressing the press conference.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the defence ministry and headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh is expected to give a go ahead to the major defence deals that are expected to be announced during Modi’s visit to Paris.
Besides the Rafale and aircraft engine project, the DAC is also expected to clear procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines.
(With PTI inputs)
