India, France strengthening strategic partnership: Rajnath

NEW DELHI: India and France discussed potential collaboration in niche areas such as cyberspace and artificial intelligence with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh saying that strategic partnership between the two nations is more relevant today than ever and both sides are looking forward to taking it to “newer heights”.

Singh and French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu held extensive talks at the fifth annual India-France Defence Dialogue in Paris on Wednesday evening with a focus on enhancing defence industrial cooperation.

“The two ministers discussed a wide range of topics from the assessment of regional situations to the ongoing military-to-military engagements, with a focus on enhancing defence industrial cooperation,” the defence ministry said on Thursday.

“Had an excellent meeting with the French Minister for the Armed Forces, Mr. Sebastien Lecornu in Paris,” Singh said.

The ministry said Singh and Lecornu reviewed the ongoing defence projects and discussed ways to deepen the collaboration between the defence industries of both the countries.

“They also discussed potential collaboration in niche domains such as space, cyber and artificial intelligence,” it said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Singh visited a jet engine manufacturing facility of French firm Safran near Paris and witnessed the latest developments in aero-engine technology.

His visit to the facility at Gennevilliers assumed significance as Safran is looking at co-developing a fighter aircraft engine in India under a mega project.Singh also interacted with a group of CEOs of top French defence companies and highlighted to them the “advantages” of co-development and co-production of defence hardware in India that he said could be exported to third countries. Defence and strategic ties between India and France have been on an upswing in the last few years.