India-France elevate relations to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership"

India and France on Tuesday resolved to further strengthen cooperation in innovation in different fields as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron launched the India-France Year of Innovation. The two Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. The elevation of the relationship will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in sectors of the future, so as to reinforce their sovereignty and decision-making autonomy, and to respond together to the major challenges confronting our world, including through cooperation between India and the European Union.

Both leaders also underlined the key importance of strengthening EU-India relations and welcomed the historic summit between India and the EU, during which the negotiations of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement were concluded. The FTA will open opportunities for further economic collaboration between India, France and Europe, strengthening the competitiveness of our businesses, ushering in a new era of sustainable prosperity and resilient value chains. The two countries renewed the 10-year defence cooperation agreement and signed an MoU for manufacturing Hammer missiles in the country. The agreements were signed when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin co-chaired the sixth India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in the city.

Further, they elevated their relations to a "special global strategic partnership" and vowed to boost cooperation in key sectors of defence, trade and critical minerals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron describing the bilateral ties as a "force for global stability" in the face of increasing geopolitical turbulence. The two sides inked a total of 21 agreements and documents providing for deepening of cooperation in an array of areas including critical minerals, defence, high technology, renewable energy, and health.

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