Modi, Macron agree to work together to expand ties
The Hindu
Aim to make the partnership a force for global good
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron held extensive discussions on a range of bilateral and pressing global issues, including the raging conflict in Ukraine, the situation in the Indo-Pacific and terrorism, as the two top leaders agreed on a blueprint to work together in making the India-France strategic partnership a force for global good.
Mr. Modi, who arrived here on a brief working visit from Denmark on the final leg of his three-nation European tour, held one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Mr. Macron at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday night in their first meeting after the French leader was recently re-elected in the presidential election.
Mr. Modi and Mr. Macron held discussions on the entire range of bilateral issues, including cooperation in defence, space, blue economy, civil nuclear and people-to-people ties, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release.
"Delighted, as always, to meet my friend President @EmmanuelMacron. We talked at length about bilateral as well as global issues. India and France are proud developmental partners with our partnership spread across different sectors," Mr. Modi tweeted in English and French languages along with a photograph of him and Mr. Macron hugging each other.
The two leaders also took stock of the regional and global security outlook and discussed ways to work together in making the India-France Strategic Partnership a force for global good. The Prime Minister’s visit to France displayed the strong friendship and goodwill not only between the two countries but also between the two leaders, the release said.
Tweeting a photograph of his meeting with Mr. Modi, Mr. Macron said, "Tonight, with @NarendraModi, we discussed the different ongoing international crises as well as our strategic partnership. We also talked about food security issues and the FARM initiative, in which India will play a key role." Prime Minister Modi invited President Macron to visit India at the earliest opportunity, the MEA release said.
India and France are strong strategic partners and the two leaders are also good friends, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters here.
With a new government in place in Delhi, Singapore hopes to schedule the Ministerial Roundtable with India shortly, says Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. In an exclusive interview, he speaks about the impact of the elections on ties, the “missed opportunity” of RCEP and the new buzz around Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati.