French Navy Chief begins four-day India visit

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will hold extensive talks with his French counterpart Admiral Christophe Prazuck on Monday to explore ways to further deepen operational cooperation between the two navies.

The chief of the French Navy is visiting India from January 6-9 with an aim to consolidate bilateral naval relations between the two countries, Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said.

Both sides will also explore new avenues for cooperation including on the operational front, said another official.

Capt Sharma said Admiral Christophe Prazuck will meet several other Indian Navy officials, besides holding talks with Admiral Lanba.

"A range of issues of mutual interest to both navies, encompassing maritime operations, training, logistics and maintenance, would be discussed during these meetings," he said.

The Indian Navy cooperates with French Navy on many fronts, which included bilateral naval exercise 'Varuna' and interaction on aircraft carrier operations.

In addition, ships from both navies make regular port calls at each other's ports, said Capt Sharma.