NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a four-day visit to Italy and France beginning Monday to expand bilateral strategic engagement and explore industrial cooperation for joint development of military hardware.
In the first leg of his two-nation tour, Singh will travel to Rome where he will hold wide-ranging talks with his Italian counterpart Guido Crisetto, according to the defence ministry. The relationship between India and Italy was elevated to the level of strategic partnership in March during the Italian prime minister’s visit to India.
“Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Italy and France from October 9 to 12, “ the ministry said.
In Paris, Singh will attend the fifth annual India-France defence dialogue with his French counterpart Sebastian Lecornu.
“India and France recently celebrated 25 years of strategic partnership. Both countries enjoy a deep and wide-ranging bilateral defence relationship, including significant industrial cooperation,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
“In both Rome and Paris, the defence minister will also interact with the defence industry CEOs and senior representatives to discuss potential opportunities for industrial cooperation,” it said.
Officials said the potential for joint development of military platforms will be part of Singh’s discussions both in Rome and Paris.
The defence and strategic ties between India and France have been on an upswing in the last few years.
In July, India and France announced a raft of ground-breaking defence cooperation projects including the joint development of jet and helicopter engines and construction of three Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy. (PTI)
