Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to enhance strategic defence cooperation, emphasizing India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. The bilateral meeting occurred on Friday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy.
France remains India’s closest strategic partner in Europe, with robust cooperation in security and defence. India is currently negotiating with France to acquire 26 Rafale jets for the Indian Navy, following a previous purchase of 36 jets for the Indian Air Force under a 2016 deal worth €7.87 billion.
India is participating in the G7 Summit as an outreach country, held at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy’s Apulia region from June 13-15. PM Modi arrived at Brindisi Airport in Apulia late Thursday night (local time) and was welcomed by India’s Ambassador to Italy, Vani Rao, and other officials.
Upon his arrival, PM Modi expressed his anticipation for productive discussions with global leaders. In addition to meeting Macron, he also met UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This marks Modi’s first international trip after assuming office for the third consecutive term and his fourth meeting with President Macron within a year. Their discussions focused on promoting innovation and research among youth.
“Had an excellent meeting with my friend President @EmmanuelMacron. This is our fourth meeting in one year, indicating the priority we accord to strong India-French ties. Our talks covered numerous subjects such as defence, security, technology, AI, Blue Economy and more. We also discussed how to encourage innovation and research among the youth. I conveyed my best wishes to him on the hosting of the Paris Olympics, which begins next month,” PM Modi shared in a post on X.
He also thanked President Macron for his warm wishes on his third consecutive term. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a statement detailing the leaders’ review of India-France bilateral relations, focusing on the ‘Horizon 2047’ Roadmap and the Indo-Pacific Roadmap. The discussions included cooperation in defence, nuclear, space, education, climate action, digital public infrastructure, connectivity, and cultural initiatives such as the National Museum partnership and enhancing people-to-people ties.
They agreed to further intensify strategic defence cooperation, with a heightened focus on ‘Make in India.’ The leaders also committed to expanding cooperation in AI, emerging technologies, energy, and sports, and to work closely on the forthcoming AI Summit and United Nations Oceans Conference, both scheduled in France in 2025.
Exchanging views on key global and regional issues, they highlighted the importance of a strong and trusted strategic partnership for a stable and prosperous global order and agreed to elevate their collaboration.
PM Modi extended his best wishes to President Macron for the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. This G7 Summit marks India’s 11th participation and Modi’s fifth consecutive attendance. Modi is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, underscoring the continuous enhancement of bilateral ties between India and Italy.
