Annual Defence Dialogue: India-France sign MoUs on Hammer Missiles, Defence cooperation agreement

Rajnath Singh and Catherine Vautrin co-chaired the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru. During the Defence Dialogue, two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were exchanged between India and France.

The first MoU concerns amendments to and the renewal of a 10-year defence cooperation agreement, signed by Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Deputy Director General of International Relations and Strategy, France, Lt Gen Eric Peltier.

The Second MoU on a joint venture to manufacture Hammer missiles was signed and exchanged between Chairman and MD of Bharat Electronics Limited, Manoj Jain, and Executive Vice President and Defence Director of Safran Electronics and Defence, Alexander Ziegler.

In his welcome remarks at the 6th Annual Defence Dialogue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed appreciation for France's cooperation. He said, "India deeply appreciates France's steadfast commitment to strategic autonomy and a robust European defence posture. The recent India-EU security and defence partnership marks a significant step in deepening our collective engagement. We look forward to leveraging this framework both bilaterally and in the wider European context to strengthen regional stability, enhance our joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-French strategic alignment."

French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said that, "Defence is the central pillar of the relationship between our countries, and our collaboration is exemplary with the joint exercises that are carried out, along with the co-production of military platforms. This partnership is complete and is grounded in mutual respect, which makes India an essential partner for a partnership in the Indo-Pacific region."

She also said that, "I think in this context it becomes increasingly important to talk about partnerships and collaboration in the field of space, industry, and bilateral partnerships." (ANI)