Bengaluru, February 17 India and France renewed their 10-year defence cooperation agreement and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for manufacturing Hammer missiles in the country on Tuesday.
The agreements were signed during the sixth India-France Annual Defence Dialogue, which was co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin.
"The renewal of the 10-year defence cooperation agreement was signed by the Defence Secretary from the Indian side and the Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy from the French side," an official statement said.
It added that an MoU on a joint venture was also signed for the manufacturing of Hammer missiles in India between the Chief Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Electronics Limited and the Executive Vice President of Safran Electronics and Defence.
According to the statement, both countries announced the deployment of reciprocal officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.
The two leaders also discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of equipment.
Emphasizing the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the industries of both nations, especially in the field of niche technology, the two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.
Singh highlighted that the recent India-EU Security and Defence Partnership marks a significant step in deepening collective engagement. Both ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the wider European context, to achieve tangible outcomes that will strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-French strategic alignment, the statement said.
Singh stated that Vautrin's tenure comes at a critical moment for European and global security, and India deeply appreciates France's steadfast commitment to strategic autonomy and a robust European defence posture.
The French defence minister appreciated the conversion of Exercise Shakti with the Army from biennial to an annual event.
Singh emphasised that India has been the 'First Responder' and 'Net Security Provider' for countries in the Indian Ocean Region and always extends assistance to them in the defence, security, and maritime domains to augment their capabilities and ward off any adversary.
On the issue of terrorism, he stated that Pakistan has a long history of nurturing, nourishing, and promoting cross-border terrorism to create disturbance and violence in India. This, he said, has created a serious threat to peace in the region.
