Rafale deal likely to figure during French Foreign Minister's visit

NEW DELHI: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will be on a two-day visit to India starting Monday during which the two countries are likely to discuss issues including the multi-billion dollar Rafale combat aircraft deal.

During his stay here, Fabius will hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj where both sides will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. He will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, an MEA release said. During the visit, the two sides are likely to discuss the Rafale fighter plane deal along with the Rs 20,000 crore Short Range-Surface-to-Air Missile project. The issue of the Jaitapur nuclear power plant is also expected to be taken up during the meeting.

The MEA noted that India and France share a warm and friendly bilateral relationship and said the visit of the French Foreign Minister will provide an opportunity for both sides to further strengthen their partnership.

In his second visit to India, Fabius will be accompanied by an official delegation. He will also visit Mumbai along with his delegation where he is expected to meet a group of industrialists.