Finance Minister Sitharaman embarks on 4-day official visit to France to bolster economic ties

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday embarked on a four-day official visit to France, where she will hold a series of high-level engagements aimed at deepening the India-France Strategic Partnership, strengthening economic cooperation, and promoting investment.

A key highlight of the visit will be the India-France Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) at Aix-en-Provence, which Sitharaman will co-chair with France's Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Energy Sovereignty, Roland Lescure, an official statement said.

As part of the EFD, both countries will discuss potential areas for greater bilateral cooperation in various sectors, and further enhance the economic relations between India and France, it said.


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During the visit, it said, Sitharaman will hold one-on-one meetings with select global chief executive officers and participate in a roundtable with leading business executives to showcase India's strong macroeconomic fundamentals, ongoing structural reforms, growing investment opportunities and long-term growth prospects.

The finance minister will also participate in a panel discussion on "How to Promote the Growth of a New Middle Class" at Les Rencontres Economiques d'Aix-en-Provence, one of Europe's leading annual forums on global economic and public policy issues.

As part of her engagements, it said, the Finance Minister will visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project at Cadarache, one of the world's largest international scientific collaborations on nuclear fusion involving over 30 partner countries, including India and France.

She will also visit Campus Cyber, France's national hub for cybersecurity innovation, research and skill development, where discussions are expected to focus on sharing best practices in strengthening cyber resilience and fostering innovation in the digital economy.

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The finance minister is also scheduled to meet Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (PACA) Region, to discuss cooperation in areas such as investment, innovation, clean energy, technology and regional economic partnerships.

On the concluding day, the Finance Minister will hold an interaction with members of the Indian diaspora in France.