The agreements were signed when Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin co-chaired the sixth annual India-France Defense Dialogue in the city.
“The renewal of the defense cooperation agreement for 10 years was signed by the Secretary of Defense from the Indian side and the Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy from the French side,” an official statement said.
He added that a joint venture memorandum of understanding was also signed for manufacturing of Hammer missiles in India between the Chief General Manager (CMD) of Bharat Electronics Limited and the Executive Vice President of Safran Electronics and Defense.
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According to the statement, the two countries announced the reciprocal deployment of officers in the establishments of the Indian Army and French Land Forces.
The two leaders also discussed a range of bilateral security and defense issues, including priority areas of co-development and co-production of equipment.
Highlighting the need for a closer defense partnership and linking the two countries’ industries, particularly in the field of niche technologies, the two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.
Singh highlighted that the recent security and defense partnership between India and the EU marks an important step in deepening collective engagement. The two ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the broader European context, to achieve tangible results that will strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities and strengthen enduring Indo-French strategic alignment, the statement said.
Singh said Vautrin’s tenure comes at a critical time for European and global security, and India deeply appreciates France’s unwavering commitment to strategic autonomy and a strong European defense posture.
The French Defense Minister appreciated the conversion of the Shakti exercise with the army from a biennial to an annual event.
Singh highlighted that India has been the “first responder” and “internet security provider” for countries in the Indian Ocean region and always extends assistance to them in the areas of defence, security and maritime to augment their capabilities and repel any adversary.
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On the issue of terrorism, he said Pakistan has a long history of nurturing, fueling and promoting cross-border terrorism to create unrest and violence in India. He said this poses a serious threat to peace in the region, the statement said.
The Annual Defense Dialogue is a structured bilateral meeting at ministerial level to review and guide defense and security cooperation.
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