India, France review ties weeks ahead of PM Modi’s visit to Paris

New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) India and France have agreed to expand their partnership in high-end technology sectors, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Paris next month to attend a summit on artificial intelligence.

The two sides discussed various aspects of the bilateral ties during India-France Foreign Office Consultations held in Paris on Monday.

The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Anne-Marie Descotes.

In the talks, the two sides also deliberated on the evolving situation in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Misri also called on French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Emmanuel Bonne, the diplomatic advisor to the French president.

“Both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made in various facets of bilateral cooperation, as outlined in the India-France Horizon 2047 Roadmap,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.

The ‘Horizon Roadmap’ was unveiled following wide-ranging talks between Prime Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in July 2023. Its aim was to shore up bilateral ties including in trade and investment.

“The discussions encompassed key areas of bilateral cooperation including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital, AI, institutional dialogue mechanisms, and initiatives fostering people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties,” the MEA said in a statement.

It said both sides agreed to expand bilateral partnership in the areas of high-end technology sectors.

“In addition, the dialogue extended to global and regional issues such as cooperation in environment, climate change and health, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, trilateral dialogues, joint development projects in third countries,” it said.

The MEA said the two sides also discussed the ongoing international issues and crises such as those concerning the situation in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine conflict.