Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he had an excellent meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, their fourth meeting in one year, and discussed ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership in areas like defence, nuclear and space.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 summit here in the southern resort town of Italy.
The meeting with Macron is Modiās first official bilateral meeting with an international leader since taking charge for his third term as Prime Minister earlier this month.
Modi thanked President Macron for his warm wishes on assuming office for the third consecutive term.
āHad an excellent meeting with my friend President @EmmanuelMacron. This is our fourth meeting in one year, indicating the priority we accord to strong India-French ties,ā Modi posted on X.
āOur 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,ā Modi wrote.
āAt 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, defense, research, and culture, and I must say: what momentum!ā Macron posted on X.
Modi also conveyed his best wishes to Macron on the hosting of the Paris Olympics, which begins next month. France will host the 2024 Summer Olympics from July 26 to August 11.
The two leaders reviewed India-France bilateral relations, focusing on the āHorizon 2047ā Roadmap and the Indo-Pacific Roadmap.
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.