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Visit of Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France to India (September 13-15, 2022)
September 15, 2022
H.E. Ms. Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, is on an official visit to India from 13-15 September 2022.
2. External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, hosted the visiting Foreign Minister for bilateral talks at Hyderabad House on 14 September 2022. Both Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening the India-France Strategic Partnership in view of continuously evolving geopolitics, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, where both countries are resident powers. The Ministers welcomed the expansion of bilateral relations to new areas like the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance and took stock of the progress on the bilateral roadmap that India and France adopted in February 2022. As part of the roadmap on Blue Economy, India will be the "Country of Honour” at the soon to be held ‘Sea Tech Week’ in Brest, France which would bring together blue economy stakeholders on both sides. The two Ministers also expressed support for the first Dialogue on Blue Economy which is to be held in the coming weeks and look forward to deepening the technical cooperation between Indian & French institutions.
3. The Ministers also appreciated progress in other existing areas of cooperation, including defence, civil nuclear, space, among others. They particularly welcomed the recent momentum on bilateral cooperation in the digital sphere, with the successful ‘VivaTech Summit 2022’ where India participated as the "Country of the Year”. VivaTech witnessed participation of a large number of Indian startups as well as Indian multinationals showcasing their innovations, and also provided an opportunity for interaction between Indian and French startup ecosystems. Both Ministers welcomed the launch of India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in France, a result of the signature of an MoU between the National Payments Corporation of India and Lyra Networks of France. On defence industry cooperation, the Ministers welcomed Safran Group’s decision to set up their largest and first aircraft engine MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facility in Hyderabad. The facility will be set up with an investment of Rs 1200 crore ($150 million) and is expected to create about 1,000 high-skilled jobs in Telangana.
4. Dr. S. Jaishankar and Ms. Colonna also welcomed the resumption of negotiations on the India-EU trade and investment agreements and agreement on geographical indicators. The Indian side appreciated France’s efforts during its Presidency of the EU Council to ensure the restart of the trade negotiations. Both sides agreed that early conclusion of the agreements would further accelerate the steady rise in bilateral trade which reached USD 9.87 billion during the period April 2021 – January 2022. The two Ministers also welcomed the conclusion of new projects in the area of bilateral development cooperation, including the Credit Facility Agreement between the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and the French Development Agency (Agence française de développement or AFD) for the drinking water project in Chandigarh and the support provided by Proparco, AFD’s private sector development subsidiary, and others European partners, to Sahyadri Farms, Maharashtra, the first farmer-led Indian company.
5. On people-to-people ties, the two ministers reiterated their commitment towards practical implementation of the India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement, which entered into force on 1 October 2021, for the benefit of the youth of the two countries. Both sides agreed to formally launch the scheme for the Exchange of Young Professionals from the age group of 18 to 35 years. Access to the respective labour markets of India and France will be facilitated for Young Professionals who are willing to contribute to the deepening of the economic, scientific and technological, and cultural ties between the two countries. The scheme will be effective immediately with the issue of as many as 500 visa permits per year by each side. The two ministers shared the ambition to further raise the number of beneficiaries of the YPS. Both Ministers also welcomed the successful organisation of the 4th Bonjour India festival across the length and breadth of the country to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence along with 75 years of Diplomatic relations between India and France, and look forward to the reciprocal Namasté France festival to be held in early 2023. The Ministers also reviewed the progress on the Indo-French Campus for Health which will be a joint venture of Indo-French academic partners who will establish 100% double degrees (1 Indian degree + 1 French degree) in English. France was also invited to join the Raisina Forum for Future of Diplomacy which aims to build a network of diplomats engaged with political and economic developments with the capacity to analyse emerging and complex global issues.
6. Dr. Jaishankar and Ms. Colonna also discussed a number of regional, global and multilateral issues including the current conflict in Europe, the forthcoming UN General Assembly, the ongoing close cooperation between the two countries in the UN Security Council and India’s priorities for the upcoming G20 Presidency. The Ministers welcomed the inaugural meeting of the Focal Points of the India-France-UAE Trilateral Framework and urged the officials to prepare an agreed roadmap for cooperation. Both Ministers also expressed their interest in resuming cooperation under the India-France-Australia Trilateral mechanism. The ministers looked forward to the trilateral ministerial meeting to be held in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA, later this month. As part of their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, both Ministers agreed to work towards the establishment of an Indo-Pacific Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund to support India-based innovators and start-ups in taking their innovations to third countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, while also exploring opportunities to undertake development projects under the framework of the International Solar Alliance and its STAR-C project to which France contributed one million euros.
7. Ms. Colonna also called on Prime Minister Modi and conveyed President Macron’s message of friendship and cooperation. PM Modi fondly recalled his recent meetings with President Macron in Paris and Schloss Elmau, Germany, and conveyed his desire to welcome the President in India at an early opportunity. Ms. Colonna also informed PM Modi that France supports Mission LiFE that he announced at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.
8. In the second leg of her tour, Ms. Colonna will be in Mumbai on 15 September 2022 where she will visit Mazagon Dockyard Limited where the Indo-French cooperation on the P75 submarine project in being undertaken. She will also meet Indian business representatives in Mumbai and will participate in a Conference on the Indo-Pacific organised by the Observer Research Foundation.
New Delhi
September 14, 2022
2. External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, hosted the visiting Foreign Minister for bilateral talks at Hyderabad House on 14 September 2022. Both Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening the India-France Strategic Partnership in view of continuously evolving geopolitics, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, where both countries are resident powers. The Ministers welcomed the expansion of bilateral relations to new areas like the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance and took stock of the progress on the bilateral roadmap that India and France adopted in February 2022. As part of the roadmap on Blue Economy, India will be the "Country of Honour” at the soon to be held ‘Sea Tech Week’ in Brest, France which would bring together blue economy stakeholders on both sides. The two Ministers also expressed support for the first Dialogue on Blue Economy which is to be held in the coming weeks and look forward to deepening the technical cooperation between Indian & French institutions.
3. The Ministers also appreciated progress in other existing areas of cooperation, including defence, civil nuclear, space, among others. They particularly welcomed the recent momentum on bilateral cooperation in the digital sphere, with the successful ‘VivaTech Summit 2022’ where India participated as the "Country of the Year”. VivaTech witnessed participation of a large number of Indian startups as well as Indian multinationals showcasing their innovations, and also provided an opportunity for interaction between Indian and French startup ecosystems. Both Ministers welcomed the launch of India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in France, a result of the signature of an MoU between the National Payments Corporation of India and Lyra Networks of France. On defence industry cooperation, the Ministers welcomed Safran Group’s decision to set up their largest and first aircraft engine MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facility in Hyderabad. The facility will be set up with an investment of Rs 1200 crore ($150 million) and is expected to create about 1,000 high-skilled jobs in Telangana.
4. Dr. S. Jaishankar and Ms. Colonna also welcomed the resumption of negotiations on the India-EU trade and investment agreements and agreement on geographical indicators. The Indian side appreciated France’s efforts during its Presidency of the EU Council to ensure the restart of the trade negotiations. Both sides agreed that early conclusion of the agreements would further accelerate the steady rise in bilateral trade which reached USD 9.87 billion during the period April 2021 – January 2022. The two Ministers also welcomed the conclusion of new projects in the area of bilateral development cooperation, including the Credit Facility Agreement between the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and the French Development Agency (Agence française de développement or AFD) for the drinking water project in Chandigarh and the support provided by Proparco, AFD’s private sector development subsidiary, and others European partners, to Sahyadri Farms, Maharashtra, the first farmer-led Indian company.
5. On people-to-people ties, the two ministers reiterated their commitment towards practical implementation of the India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement, which entered into force on 1 October 2021, for the benefit of the youth of the two countries. Both sides agreed to formally launch the scheme for the Exchange of Young Professionals from the age group of 18 to 35 years. Access to the respective labour markets of India and France will be facilitated for Young Professionals who are willing to contribute to the deepening of the economic, scientific and technological, and cultural ties between the two countries. The scheme will be effective immediately with the issue of as many as 500 visa permits per year by each side. The two ministers shared the ambition to further raise the number of beneficiaries of the YPS. Both Ministers also welcomed the successful organisation of the 4th Bonjour India festival across the length and breadth of the country to celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence along with 75 years of Diplomatic relations between India and France, and look forward to the reciprocal Namasté France festival to be held in early 2023. The Ministers also reviewed the progress on the Indo-French Campus for Health which will be a joint venture of Indo-French academic partners who will establish 100% double degrees (1 Indian degree + 1 French degree) in English. France was also invited to join the Raisina Forum for Future of Diplomacy which aims to build a network of diplomats engaged with political and economic developments with the capacity to analyse emerging and complex global issues.
6. Dr. Jaishankar and Ms. Colonna also discussed a number of regional, global and multilateral issues including the current conflict in Europe, the forthcoming UN General Assembly, the ongoing close cooperation between the two countries in the UN Security Council and India’s priorities for the upcoming G20 Presidency. The Ministers welcomed the inaugural meeting of the Focal Points of the India-France-UAE Trilateral Framework and urged the officials to prepare an agreed roadmap for cooperation. Both Ministers also expressed their interest in resuming cooperation under the India-France-Australia Trilateral mechanism. The ministers looked forward to the trilateral ministerial meeting to be held in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA, later this month. As part of their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, both Ministers agreed to work towards the establishment of an Indo-Pacific Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund to support India-based innovators and start-ups in taking their innovations to third countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, while also exploring opportunities to undertake development projects under the framework of the International Solar Alliance and its STAR-C project to which France contributed one million euros.
7. Ms. Colonna also called on Prime Minister Modi and conveyed President Macron’s message of friendship and cooperation. PM Modi fondly recalled his recent meetings with President Macron in Paris and Schloss Elmau, Germany, and conveyed his desire to welcome the President in India at an early opportunity. Ms. Colonna also informed PM Modi that France supports Mission LiFE that he announced at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.
8. In the second leg of her tour, Ms. Colonna will be in Mumbai on 15 September 2022 where she will visit Mazagon Dockyard Limited where the Indo-French cooperation on the P75 submarine project in being undertaken. She will also meet Indian business representatives in Mumbai and will participate in a Conference on the Indo-Pacific organised by the Observer Research Foundation.
New Delhi
September 14, 2022
Visite du ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères de la France en Inde (13-15 septembre 2022)
14 septembre 2022
S.E. Mme Catherine Colonna, ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères de la France, effectue une visite officielle en Inde du 13 au 15 septembre 2022.
2. Le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Dr. S. Jaishankar, a accueilli la ministre des Affaires étrangères en visite pour des entretiens bilatéraux à Hyderabad House le 14 septembre 2022. Les deux ministres ont réaffirmé leur volonté commune d'approfondir le partenariat stratégique entre l'Inde et la France, compte tenu de l'évolution constante de la géopolitique, notamment dans la région indo-pacifique, où les deux pays sont des puissances résidentes. Les ministres ont salué l'élargissement des relations bilatérales à de nouveaux domaines tels que l'économie bleue et la gouvernance des océans et ont fait le point sur les progrès de la feuille de route bilatérale que l'Inde et la France ont adoptée en février 2022. Dans le cadre de la feuille de route sur l'économie bleue, l'Inde sera le "pays d'honneur" de la "Sea Tech Week" qui se tiendra prochainement à Brest, en France, et qui réunira les acteurs de l'économie bleue des deux pays. Les deux ministres ont également exprimé leur soutien au premier dialogue sur l'économie bleue qui doit se tenir dans les prochaines semaines et se réjouissent d'approfondir la coopération technique entre les institutions indiennes et françaises.
3. Les ministres ont également apprécié les progrès réalisés dans d'autres domaines de coopération existants, notamment la défense, le nucléaire civil et l'espace. Ils se sont particulièrement félicités de la dynamique récente de la coopération bilatérale dans le domaine numérique, avec le succès du "VivaTech Summit 2022", auquel l'Inde a participé en tant que "pays de l'année". VivaTech a vu la participation d'un grand nombre de startups indiennes ainsi que de multinationales indiennes présentant leurs innovations, et a également fourni une opportunité d'interaction entre les écosystèmes de startups indiens et français. Les deux ministres ont salué le lancement de l'interface de paiement unifiée (UPI) de l'Inde en France, qui résulte de la signature d'un protocole d'accord entre la National Payments Corporation de l'Inde et Lyra Networks de France. En ce qui concerne la coopération dans le domaine de l'industrie de la défense, les ministres ont salué la décision du groupe Safran d'établir à Hyderabad sa plus grande et sa première installation de maintenance, réparation et révision (MRO) de moteurs d'avion. Ce site sera mis en place grâce à un investissement de 1 200 millions de roupies (150 millions de dollars) et devrait créer environ 1 000 emplois hautement qualifiés dans le Telangana.
4. Le Dr. S. Jaishankar et Mme Colonna ont également salué la reprise des négociations sur les accords de commerce et d'investissement entre l'Inde et l'UE et l'accord sur les indicateurs géographiques. La partie indienne a apprécié les efforts de la France pendant sa présidence du Conseil de l'UE pour assurer la reprise des négociations commerciales. Les deux parties ont convenu qu'une conclusion rapide des accords accélérerait encore la hausse constante du commerce bilatéral, qui a atteint 9,87 milliards de dollars au cours de la période avril 2021 - janvier 2022. Les deux ministres ont également salué la conclusion de nouveaux projets dans le domaine de la coopération bilatérale au développement, notamment l'accord de facilité de crédit entre le département des affaires économiques, le ministère des finances et l'Agence française de développement (AFD) pour le projet d'eau potable à Chandigarh et le soutien apporté par Proparco, la filiale de développement du secteur privé de l'AFD, et d'autres partenaires européens, à Sahyadri Farms, Maharashtra, la première entreprise indienne dirigée par des agriculteurs.
5. En ce qui concerne les liens entre les peuples, les deux ministres ont réitéré leur engagement en faveur de la mise en œuvre pratique de l'accord de partenariat Inde-France sur la migration et la mobilité, qui est entré en vigueur le 1er octobre 2021, au profit de la jeunesse des deux pays. Les deux parties ont convenu de lancer officiellement le programme d'échange de jeunes professionnels âgés de 18 à 35 ans. L'accès aux marchés du travail respectifs de l'Inde et de la France sera facilité pour les jeunes professionnels désireux de contribuer à l'approfondissement des liens économiques, scientifiques et technologiques, et culturels entre les deux pays. Le dispositif entrera en vigueur immédiatement avec la délivrance par chaque partie de 500 permis de visa par an. Les deux ministres ont partagé l'ambition d'augmenter encore le nombre de bénéficiaires du SPJ. Les deux ministres ont également salué l'organisation réussie du 4ème festival Bonjour India à travers tout le pays pour célébrer les 75 ans de l'indépendance de l'Inde ainsi que les 75 ans de relations diplomatiques entre l'Inde et la France, et attendent avec impatience le festival Namasté France qui se tiendra début 2023. Les ministres ont également fait le point sur l'avancement du Campus indo-français pour la santé qui sera une joint-venture de partenaires universitaires indo-français qui établiront des doubles diplômes à 100% (1 diplôme indien + 1 diplôme français) en anglais. La France a également été invitée à rejoindre le Forum de Raisina pour l'avenir de la diplomatie qui vise à construire un réseau de diplomates engagés dans les développements politiques et économiques avec la capacité d'analyser les questions mondiales émergentes et complexes.
6. M. Jaishankar et Mme Colonna ont également discuté d'un certain nombre de questions régionales, mondiales et multilatérales, notamment le conflit actuel en Europe, la prochaine Assemblée générale des Nations unies, la coopération étroite entre les deux pays au sein du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies et les priorités de l'Inde pour la prochaine présidence du G20. Les ministres se sont félicités de la réunion inaugurale des points focaux du cadre trilatéral Inde-France-émirats arabes unis et ont exhorté les responsables à préparer une feuille de route convenue pour la coopération. Les deux ministres ont également exprimé leur intérêt pour la reprise de la coopération dans le cadre du mécanisme trilatéral Inde-France-Australie. Les ministres attendent avec impatience la réunion ministérielle trilatérale qui se tiendra à New York, en marge de l'Assemblée générale des Nations unies, à la fin du mois. Dans le cadre de leur coopération dans la région indo-pacifique, les deux ministres ont convenu d'œuvrer à la création d'un fonds de coopération trilatéral pour le développement de la région indo-pacifique afin d'aider les innovateurs et les jeunes pousses basés en Inde à porter leurs innovations dans des pays tiers, en particulier dans la région indo-pacifique, tout en explorant également les possibilités d'entreprendre des projets de développement dans le cadre de l'Alliance solaire internationale et de son projet STAR-C auquel la France a contribué à hauteur d'un million d'euros.
7. Mme Colonna a également rendu visite au Premier ministre Modi et lui a transmis le message d'amitié et de coopération du Président Macron. Le Premier ministre Modi a évoqué avec émotion ses récentes rencontres avec le Président Macron à Paris et à Schloss Elmau, en Allemagne, et a fait part de son souhait d'accueillir le Président en Inde dès que possible. Mme Colonna a également informé le PM Modi que la France soutient la Mission LiFE qu'il a annoncée lors de la COP26 à Glasgow en 2021.
8. Dans la deuxième étape de sa tournée, Mme Colonna sera à Mumbai le 15 septembre 2022 où elle visitera Mazagon Dockyard Limited où la coopération indo-française sur le projet de sous-marin P75 est en cours. Elle rencontrera également des représentants d'entreprises indiennes à Mumbai et participera à une conférence sur l'Indo-Pacifique organisée par l'Observer Research Foundation.
New Delhi
14 septembre 2022
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