Trade, defence on agenda as France foreign minister starts visit to India

NEW DELHI: French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, will embark on the three-day official visit to India beginning today. The visit will review the bilateral relationship between India and France and focus on ways to enhance cooperation in trade, defence and climate action. Colonna will meet PM Modi on Wednesday. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Indo-French diplomatic relations.

“Minister Colonna will highlight France’s belief that our trust-based strategic partnership is our best asset to continue boosting our strategic autonomy and uphold a multipolar rules-based world order. In this respect, Minister Colonna will convey France’s full support to India’s upcoming G20 presidency,” the French Embassy spokesperson said.

Colonna will have a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and also National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.The discussions would be based on regional and global security issues, strengthened defence cooperation, as well as the implementation of France’s counter-terrorism  cooperation with India, which is hosting the “No Money for Terror” conference this year.

Colonna is also scheduled to travel to Mumbai for interactions with leading Indian investors who have business interests in France. It is noteworthy here that France has been ranked as the top European destination for FDI for the third year in a row.

Colonna will also tour Mazagon Dock shipyard, where she will visit “Vagsheer”, the most recent of the France-designed Kalvari-class submarines made in India for the Indian Navy under a successful transfer of technology programme. This visit will exemplify France’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector and to Indo-French naval cooperation as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific. The visit also demonstrates France’s unwavering commitment to the Indo-Pacific and determination to work with India to find common solutions to global disorders.

During Colonna’s meeting with S. Jaishankar, the talks will be held on regional and global subjects of common interest, and coordination on issues under consideration at the United Nations Security Council, which France is currently chairing.