India and France held Foreign Office Consultations in Paris on Monday and agreed to expand their bilateral partnership in high-end technology sectors. The two nations conducted a comprehensive review of the progress made in various aspects of their bilateral cooperation, as outlined in the India-France Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
During the meeting, discussions covered key areas of cooperation, including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital domains, Artificial Intelligence (AI), institutional dialogue mechanisms, and initiatives promoting people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
In its press note, the MEA stated, “Both sides agreed to expand the bilateral partnership in high-end technology sectors. Additionally, the dialogue addressed global and regional issues, such as cooperation in the environment, climate change, health, the Indo-Pacific region, trilateral dialogues, joint development projects in third countries, and ongoing international crises, including the situation in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.”
The India-France Foreign Office Consultations were co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and the Secretary General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Anne-Marie Descotes. They also co-chaired a meeting of the India-France Special Task Force on Civil Nuclear Energy.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “India-France Foreign Office Consultations co-chaired by Foreign Secy @VikramMisri & Secretary General Anne-Marie Descotes @amdescotes were held in Paris.”
He added, “Wide-ranging discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral relations took place, focusing on areas like defence, civil nuclear energy, AI, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, and high-level engagements between the two countries.”
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also met France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, and Diplomatic Advisor to the French President, Emmanuel Bonne.
