Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday met for the fifth time with a focus on climate change, cyber security, defence and space cooperation and Paris backing New Delhi on Kashmir. Both sides also announced that the delivery of Rafale fighter jets will begin next month.
PM Modi said, "Our friendship rests not on selfishness,but on solid ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity'. This is the reason why India and France have stood shoulder to shoulder to protect freedom and democracy "PM Modi lauded Paris's support to deal with cross border terror. French President while mentioning Pulwama attack said, "will work together to eradicate the scourge".On Kashmir, French President said,"India and Pakistan have to resolve it bilaterally.. and no third party mediation can happen".
Adding, that he will tell Pakistani PM Imran Khan "thatthey (India and Pakistan) have to solve issue bilaterally and stability in theregion should be maintained and no terror activities should happen" OnJaitapur nuclear power plant, he said, "by the end of this year we want totake the project ahead".Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began hisstate visit to France on Thursday and will later participate in 45th G7 summitin Biarritz on 25th and 26th August. On India's participation at G7, Macronsaid, "It is a priority for us to talk about climate change and we willtalk about it even during G7 meet. India has been very supportive and we needto go ahead with all other nations, to stop carbon emission and protect theenvironment."PM arrived at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport on Thursdayand on Friday morning will meet Prime Minister of Franch Édouard Philippe. Hewill address the Indian diaspora at the UNESCO Headquarters.
PM Modi visited France in 2017 followed by the visit of theFrench President in 2018 and then meetings on the sidelines of G20 summit inArgentina and Japan in December 2018 and June 2019, respectively.
G7: PM Modi meets Trump, Boris
Later, when he comes back from his visit to UAE and Bahrain,PM will represent India at the G-7 Summit in Biarritz from 25th to 26th whereIndia is a special invitee by French President Emmanuel Macron.
It is after a gap of more than 10 years that India has beeninvited at the G7 summit, the last time being in 2005 when the then BritishPrime Minister Tony Blair had invited the then Indian Prime Minister ManmohanSingh at the Gleneagles summit.India is "Biarritz partner" countryalong with Australia, Chile, South Africa, Rwanda, Senegal, Egypt and BurkinaFaso. Climate, biodiversity will be the main focus of the 45th G7 summit whosetheme is "combating inequality".
He is expected to interact with US President Donald Trumpand British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at G7. "I am going to be with PMModi... I will be with him over a weekend in France", US President DonaldTrump had said.
During the conversation between PM Modi and British PM BorisJohnson, G7 was discussed. “Ahead of the G7, the Prime Minister and PM Modiagreed on the importance of working together to tackle climate change and otherthreats to biodiversity", a British government readout on the Modi-Borisphone call said, adding, "They looked forward to meeting at the summitthis weekend to discuss this and other issues."