PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called for enhancing trade and investment ties between the two countries and committed to further deepening their engagement in the Indo-Pacific and various global forums and initiatives. After their wide-ranging talks, the two leaders also underlined their commitment to concrete actions to ensure that the global AI sector can drive beneficial social, economic, and environmental outcomes in the public interest. A joint statement issued after the meeting here said the talks covered a full spectrum of bilateral relations, as well as key global and regional issues.

 

The two leaders stressed an urgent need for reform in the United Nations Security Council and agreed to coordinate closely on various global issues, including the UNSC matters. French President Macron reiterated France’s firm support for India’s permanent membership of the UNSC. The two leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to India-France Strategic Partnership while noting that it has steadily evolved into a multifaceted relationship over the past 25 years. Prime Minister Modi flew together from Paris to Marseille in the French Presidential Aircraft on Tuesday evening and held discussions here 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 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 statement said. The leaders also called for enhancing trade and investment ties. President Macron also hosted a dinner in honour of the Prime Minister in the coastal town of Cassis, near Marseille. Prime Minister invited President Macron to visit India. The list of 10 outcomes included the India-France Declaration on AI, launch of the logo for the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, and Letter of Intent between India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and France’s Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) France to establish the Indo-French Centre for the Digital Sciences. An agreement was also signed for hosting 10 Indian startups at the French start-up incubator Station F, while a Declaration of Intent was signed on the establishment of a partnership on Advanced Modular Reactors and Small Modular Reactors.

 

Other outcomes included the renewal of MoU between the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives of France (CAE), for cooperation with the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP). And the implementation of an agreement between DAE of India and CEA of France concerning cooperation between GCNEP India and Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN), France. A joint declaration of intent on Triangular Development Cooperation was signed, and a declaration of intent was signed between The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries and The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Field of Environment. Modi reached France on Monday and also co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit along with Macron. This is Modi’s sixth visit to France and follows Macron’s visit to India in January 2024 as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day of India. The two leaders also visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor facility here.