Jaishankar set to visit France next week

New Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar plans to visit India's close strategic partner France next week as Paris remains a key partner both at the UN and on the battlefield to counter Pakistan-based terror infrastructure.

While working closely with the US (a permanent UNSC member) from the West, India has increasingly relied on France to blunt Pakistan's initiatives in the UN Security Council (UNSC). Russia remains India's other critical partner in the UNSC on the Kashmir issue and terror.

While France has been a strong counter-terror partner for decades, Indo-France defence industry partnership is gaining in salience. Rafale fighters, apart from S-400 and BrahMos missiles, played a critical role in blunting Pakistan's aggression during May 8-10.


Besides engaging his counterpart and other key stakeholders in Paris, Jaishankar may also address the inaugural India-French Track 1.5 dialogue in Marseilles, organised in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation.

In February, during his visit to France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Marseilles along with French President Emmanuel Macron to inaugurate an Indian consulate there.

Last month, a delegation of Indian MPs visited France.