French President Macron lauds momentum in bilateral ties after meeting PM Modi

Apulia (Italy): French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the momentum in Indo-French cooperation in several fields following his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Italy's Apulia on Friday.

"At the G7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I discussed the main issues of the strategic partnership that unites India and France, in the fields of energy, defence, research, and culture, and I must say: what momentum!" Macron posted on X after the end of the Summit's Outreach Session.

Earlier in the day, the two leaders reviewed India-France bilateral relations, focusing on the 'Horizon 2047' roadmap and the Indo-Pacific roadmap.

"Had an excellent meeting with my friend President Emmanuel Macron. This was our fourth meeting in one year, indicating the priority we accord to strong India-France ties. Our talks covered numerous subjects such as defence, security, technology, AI, Blue Economy and more. We also discussed how to encourage innovation and research among the youth. I conveyed my best wishes to him on the hosting of the Paris Olympics, which begins next month," PM Modi posted on X after the meeting.

The discussions included cooperation in defence, nuclear, space, education, climate action, digital public infrastructure, connectivity and cultural initiatives such as the National Museum partnership and enhancing people-to-people ties.

The two leaders also agreed to further intensify strategic defence cooperation with an increased focus on 'Make in India'.

"In view of the G20 which will be held in Brazil in November 2024 and which will follow the G20 in Delhi, they also agreed to support the reform of international taxation aimed at building a more stable and fair framework for multinational companies.

"Finally, the issues of global health and vaccine production were discussed, as France prepares to host the Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation on June 20 in Paris," said a statement issued by the Elysee Palace.