Rajnath Singh conducted the 5th Annual Defence Dialogue with French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu in Paris
Before wrapping off his two-nation visit of Europe, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held the 5th Annual Defence Dialogue in Paris late on October 11, 2023, with French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu. The two Ministers spoke on a variety of issues, with an emphasis on strengthening defence industry cooperation, including the assessment of the regional situation and ongoing military-to-military engagements.
The Ministers discussed measures to strengthen cooperation between the defence industry of the two nations as well as ongoing defence initiatives. They also talked about future joint ventures in specialised fields including cyber, artificial intelligence, and space. A Guard of Honour at the French Ministry of Defence was held before to the conference.
Rajnath Singh saw the most recent advancements in aero-engine technology earlier in the day when visiting the Safran Engine Division's R&D Centre in Gennevilliers, close to Paris. Additionally, he met with the CEOs of the leading French defence firms to discuss their ambitions for cooperation with India. The benefits of co-development and co-production in India, particularly the potential for exports to other nations, were emphasised by Rajnath Singh. He emphasised the inherent benefits of the Indian market, including its sizeable, highly skilled human resource base, top-notch infrastructure, and robust legal system. On October 10, 2023, the Raksha Mantri arrived in Paris and met with the local Indian population.
Rajnath Singh met with Guido Crosetto, the defence minister of Italy, in Rome on the first part of his two-nation tour. Following the discussions, a document titled “Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Defence” was signed to encourage bilateral cooperation in a variety of defense-related fields, including R&D, education in the military, maritime domain awareness, sharing of defence information, and industrial cooperation, including co-development, co-production, and the establishment of joint ventures. During his visit, he also had meetings with the CEOs and other top business executives of Italian defence businesses in Rome.