Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a four-day visit to Italy and France starting Monday (October 9) aiming to bolster bilateral strategic engagement and explore industrial cooperation for joint development of military hardware.
Singh will be on the two-nation tour from October 9 to 12.
According to the Defence Ministry, in the first leg of his two-nation visit, Singh will travel to Rome where he will hold bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart Guido Crisetto.
“The relationship between India and Italy was elevated to Strategic Partnership in March 2023 during the visit of the Italian Prime Minister to India,” the Defence Ministry said.
"Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Italy and France from October 9 to 12, " the Ministry added.
Defece Minister's itinerary
The Defence Minister will attend the fifth annual India-France defence dialogue with his French counterpart Sebastian Lecornu in Paris.
"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.
Rajnath Singh will also interact with the defence industry CEOs and senior representatives in both countries to discuss potential opportunities for industrial cooperation.
According to the officials, the potential for joint development of military platforms will be a part of the Defence Minister’s discussions in both the nations.
Dassault Aviation CEO to visit New Delhi
Meanwhile, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier will visit new Delhi this week to deliberate on India’s proposed purchase of 26 naval variants of the Rafale aircraft, according to the people familiar with the matter.
They said that Trappier will arrive in the national capital on Monday on a two-day visit to hold initial negotiations on the procurement. However, there is no official announcement on the visit by Dassault Aviation.
India and France have witnessed an upswing in their defence and strategic ties 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.
The two strategic partners also expressed commitment to cooperate in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of third countries.
(With PTI inputs)
