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Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold the first defense-level dialogue with her French counterpart, Florence Parly, and is expected to visit the Dassault Rafale Fighter Manufacturing Plant on Friday. near Paris, during his three-day visit to France. She could also meet with President Emmanuel Macron, although there is no confirmation on this subject.
Government officials familiar with the matter stated, subject to anonymity, that Sitharaman's visit to the Rafale Center stemmed from his desire to experience his flying capabilities and to discuss with the builder from the aircraft, Dassault Aviation, the delivery status of the 36 aircraft ordered. Soaring condition by India from France in a government-to-government agreement. The first hunter is expected to land in India in September 2019.
According to officials, the decision to hold an annual dialogue between the two countries at the level of defense ministers was decided during pMacron's visit to India last March with the aim of deepening military cooperation between two strategic partners and to extend it from the plane to space.
While defense cooperation between India and France has reached new heights, New Delhi wants to strengthen the ongoing partnership in the defense sector, giving a greater role to the industry Indian in the transfer of technologies such as Scorpene submarines. Indian group Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited has entered into a partnership with the French group Naval to manufacture the Scorpene submarine by technology transfer. The two defense ministers will also discuss expanding the scope of joint exercises with advanced military training in the Persian Gulf and near the Reunion Islands in the extreme Pacific. Sitharaman and Parly will also discuss the supply of the French military jet engine Safran M88 for the light aircraft Tejas.
Sitharaman will travel to Singapore next week to attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting and is expected to visit the newly-appointed Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii during his visit to the United States in December at the Invitation from Defense Secretary James Mattis.
First publication: Oct. 11, 2018 07:12 IST
