PM Modi hosts bilateral meet for France’s Macron, leaders pledge to boost defence ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of Day 2 of the G20 Summit in New Delhi where the two leaders discussed both global and regional developments, reviewed the progress in bilateral ties since their last meeting in July 2023 in Paris and vowed to strengthen Indo-French defence collaboration.

“Both leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthen the defence cooperation through partnership in design, development, testing and manufacture of advanced defence technologies and platforms, and expand production in India, including for third countries in the Indo-Pacific,” a joint statement released at the end of the meet said.

They also called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap and promised to further strengthen Indo-French defence collaboration.

“A very productive lunch meeting with President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed a series of topics and look forward to ensuring India-France relations scale new heights of progress,” PM Modi posted on X, (formerly Twitter). The two leaders met over lunch.

A very productive lunch meeting with President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed a series of topics and look forward to ensuring India-France relations scale new heights of progress. pic.twitter.com/JDugC3995N

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2023

The India-France joint statement indicated that both countries welcomed the African Union’s membership to the G20 group of nations and resolved to work with AU for progress, prosperity and development of Africa.

PM Modi and President Macron also emphasised the need to expand Indo-French collaboration to address regional and global challenges. “They reiterated their unwavering commitment to collectively serve as a force of good, carrying the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ that is ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, during tumultuous times and to reshape the global order,” the statement read.

Macron’s visit to India comes after Prime Minister Modi’s significant trip to Paris on July 13-14, 2023 as the Guest of Honour on the occasion of the French National Day on 14 July 2023. The visit also commemorated the 25th anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership.

Both the leaders also discussed the India-France partnership in the Indo Pacific region and Africa, including in infrastructure, connectivity, energy, biodiversity, sustainability and industrial projects. They underlined their role of providers of solutions for the Indo-Pacific through their cooperation in the framework of the International Solar Alliance, launched by India and France, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

President Macron on his part congratulated Prime Minister Modi on India’s successful Chandrayaan 3 mission to the moon. The two leaders recalled six decades of India-France space cooperation and reviewed the progress since the first Strategic Space Dialogue in June 2023. They acknowledged the strong Indo-French civil nuclear ties, good progress in discussions for the Jaitapur nuclear plant project and welcomed the continuing engagement of both sides to expand bilateral cooperation.

France also reiterated its steadfast and unwavering support for India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.