Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday co-chaired the 4th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu in New Delhi.

Lecornu is on a two-day visit to India. As part of the Annual Defence Dialogue, both Ministers held wide-ranging talks, including operational defence ties, counter-terrorism, maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, and industrial and technological partnerships in line with India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” policy.

The French Minister for the Armed Forces laid a wreath at National War Memorial, as he began the Delhi leg of his visit.

"As he begins the #Delhi leg of his visit, French Minister for the Armed Forces @SebLecornu lays a wreath and pays tribute to India’s valiant soldiers at #NationalWarMemorial,” French envoy to India Emmanuel Lenain tweeted.

Sebastien Lecornu is also scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar to discuss global issues of common concern, including the situation in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific.

The visiting Minister will also meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval for discussions on regional security issues and both nations’ close cooperation in combating terrorism.

According to Defence Ministry, India and France have close and friendly relations. In 1998, the two countries entered into Strategic Partnership, marking the convergence of their views on a range of international issues apart from a close and growing bilateral relationship.

India and France are partners in defence and armaments, contributing to India’s policy of strategic autonomy in the defence sector through numerous industrial cooperation.

Image courtesy: Emmanuel Lenain/Twitter