Army chief to head for France to boost bilateral ties
22 May 2013 11:04 PM IST
Army chief General Bikram Singh will be heading for Paris next week to further bolster the already strong strategic partnership with France, which is one of the biggest arms suppliers to India.
During his trip from May 26 to 30, Gen Singh will hold talks with French defence minister Jean Yves Le Drian, chief of general staff Admiral Edouard Guillaud and Army chief General Bertrand Ract-Madoux, apart from visiting defence establishments like the Land Forces Command in Lille.
‘France — which did not impose sanctions after the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests — and India already have a strategic dialogue at the national security advisor-level. Apart from being the first country to enter into a formal understanding with India after the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group exempted us from its guidelines, it also supports our bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council as well as G-8,’ said an official.
During his trip from May 26 to 30, Gen Singh will hold talks with French defence minister Jean Yves Le Drian, chief of general staff Admiral Edouard Guillaud and Army chief General Bertrand Ract-Madoux, apart from visiting defence establishments like the Land Forces Command in Lille.
‘France — which did not impose sanctions after the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests — and India already have a strategic dialogue at the national security advisor-level. Apart from being the first country to enter into a formal understanding with India after the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group exempted us from its guidelines, it also supports our bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council as well as G-8,’ said an official.
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