Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will co-chair 4th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with the Minister of Armed Forces of the French Republic Mr. Sebastien Lecornu on his visit to India from 26-28 November, 2022.
The visiting French Minister shall also meet External Affair Minister and the National Security Advisor. This is the first visit of Mr Sebastien Lecornu as French Minister of Armed Forces to India. He is also scheduled to visit Headquarters Southern Naval Command at Kochi and see India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
India and France have close and friendly relations. In 1998, the two countries entered into Strategic Partnership, marking 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.