G20 Summit: India, France to focus on early finalisation of defence industrial roadmap
India and France on Sunday decided to focus on early finalisation of the defence industrial roadmap when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met French President Emanuel Macron over a lunch meeting here following the G20 summit.
The leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthen defence cooperation through partnership in design, development, testing and manufacture of advanced defence technologies and platforms, and expand production in India, including for countries in Indo-Pacific and beyond. They also called for early finalisation of the defence industrial roadmap, according to a joint statement issued following talks.
Laying emphasis on digital, science, technological innovation, education, culture, health and environment cooperation, both leaders called for strengthening institutional linkages in these domains, on the model of the Indo-French Campus for Indo-Pacific.
In this context, the two leaders, according to officials, reaffirmed commitment to expand cultural exchanges and work together in development of museums.
Acknowledging the strength of partnership, both leaders emphasised the need to expand their collaboration to address regional and global challenges.
With 'Horizon 2047' and Indo-Pacific roadmap and other outcomes during Modi's Paris visit serving as points of reference, the two leaders discussed overall progress and next steps in the implementation of new goals for cooperation in defence, space, nuclear energy, digital public infrastructure, critical technology, climate change, education and people-to-people contacts.
The two leaders also carried forward their discussions on partnership in Africa, including in infrastructure, connectivity, energy, biodiversity, sustainability and industrial projects. India
