This will mark Minister Parly’s third official visit to India since 2017 and one of her very first official trips since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic.
The French Defence minister will also meet her counterpart, Rajnath Singh, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Their broad-ranging talks will cover, among others, industrial and technological partnership in line with the Make in India programme. Both sides will also discuss operational defence cooperation, particularly maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and counter-terrorism cooperation; as well as major regional and international strategic issues.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron over their several meetings in past years have expressed their desire to deepen and expand the Indo-French partnership, with strategic autonomy and the defense of a multipolar order as its cornerstones. The French Minister’s visit is expected to further that commitment.
During her visit, Minister Parly will also pay a floral tribute to India’s valiant soldiers at the National War Memorial in Delhi.
The French Minister will be accompanied, among others, by top executives from Dassault Aviation, Thales Group, Safran, and MBDA, representing the French defence majors that have been partnering with many Indian companies as part of the Rafale agreement.
– Abhishek Jha