New Delhi: In a special gesture reflecting the personal rapport between the two leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron flew together from Paris to Marseille in the French Presidential Aircraft on Tuesday.
They held discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral relations and key global and regional issues. This was followed by delegation level talks after arrival in Marseille.
The leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to the India-France Strategic Partnership, which has steadily evolved into a multifaceted relationship over the past 25 years.
The talks covered all aspects of the India-France strategic partnership.
The two leaders reviewed cooperation in the strategic areas of Defence, Civil Nuclear Energy and Space. They also discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in the fields of Technology and Innovation. This area of partnership assumes greater salience in the backdrop of the just concluded AI Action Summit and the upcoming India-France Year of Innovation in 2026.
The leaders also called for enhancing trade and investment ties and in this regard welcomed the report of the 14th India- France CEOs Forum.
Prime Minister and President Macron expressed satisfaction at the ongoing collaboration in the fields of health, culture, tourism, education and people-to-people ties. They committed to further deepen engagement in the Indo-Pacific and in global forums and initiatives.
A Joint Statement outlining the way forward for India- France ties was adopted after the talks. Ten outcomes in the areas of Technology and Innovation, Civil Nuclear Energy, Triangular Cooperation, Environment, Culture and People to People relations were also finalized (list attached).
Modi invited Macron to visit India.
Modi and Macron visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor [ITER] in Cadarache earlier on Wednesday.
This was the first visit by any Head of State or Head of Government to ITER – one of the most ambitious fusion energy projects in the world today.
During the visit, the leaders appreciated the progress of ITER, including the assembly of the world’s largest Tokamak, where ultimately 500 MW of fusion power will be produced by creating, containing and controlling burning plasma. The leaders also appreciated the dedication of the ITER engineers and scientists working on the project.
India is among the seven ITER members contributing to the project over the last two decades. Around 200 Indian scientists and associates, as well as notable industry players such as L&T, Inox India, TCS, TCE, HCL Technologies, among others, are engaged in the ITER project.
