French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai on Wednesday, kicking off a three-day visit to India centered on enhancing collaboration in artificial intelligence and potentially finalizing a substantial fighter jet contract worth billions of dollars.
France aims to bolster its defense partnership with New Delhi, with negotiations anticipated regarding a potential agreement for an additional 114 French Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft.
In a social media message to his “dear friend” Macron, Modi expressed his enthusiasm for elevating the bilateral relationship to new levels as the French leader embarked on his visit with his spouse Brigitte in India’s financial hub.
Modi expressed confidence that their discussions would further enhance cooperation between the two nations.
Following the meeting, Macron commended the significant progress in relations with India, attributing the momentum to the evolving global landscape. He emphasized the mutual desire of both countries to avoid domination by a few entities or geopolitical conflicts.
Macron urged India to support a “moratorium on strikes” against civilians in Ukraine.
This marks Macron’s fourth visit to India since assuming office in 2017. His itinerary on the first day included paying tribute to the victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and engaging with Bollywood luminaries such as Shabana Azmi and Manoj Bajpayee.
The visit comes after New Delhi’s recent announcement of its intention to acquire a substantial number of Rafale jets and the signing of a groundbreaking free trade pact between India and the European Union in January.
Macron is scheduled to head to New Delhi for an artificial intelligence summit scheduled for today and tomorrow.
Over the past decade, New Delhi has endeavored to decrease its reliance on Russia, a traditional supplier of military hardware, by diversifying its sources and promoting domestic manufacturing.