India and France on Monday held the fifth session of the Indo-French maritime cooperation dialogue in Paris, in the presence of Pankaj Saran, Deputy National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of India, and, on the French side, M Marcel Escure, Ambassador for Regional Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Zone.
Building on the regular discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, the Indo-French dialogue on maritime cooperation helped strengthen the strategic partnership between France and India, the French embassy in India said in a statement.
At the end of a day of in-depth exchanges and discussions, this fifth session provided an opportunity to develop and reinforce Indo-French cooperation projects on maritime security and safety, including through regular exchanges and the deepening of relations between the navies, while reaffirming the shared commitment in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said.
Regional forums such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) are frameworks that help strengthen Indo-French cooperation on maritime issues.
Alice Guitton, Director General for International Relations and Strategy, Ministry for the Armed Forces, and M. Alexandre Vulic, Deputy Director for Strategic Affairs and Disarmament, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs also took part in the meeting.
( With inputs from ANI )
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