Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Italy and France from October 9 to 12 to discuss ways to further enhance ties with the two nations and explore possibilities to jointly produce weapon systems.
Giving details of his schedule, defence ministry officials said here on Sunday, during the first leg of his two-nation visit, Rajnath is scheduled to meet Italian Defence Minister Guido Crisetto in Rome. The relationship between India and Italy was elevated to Strategic Partnership in March 2023 during the visit of the Italian Prime Minister to India.
During the second and final leg, Rajnath will conduct the 5th Annual Defence Dialogue with his counterpart, French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastian Lecornu in Paris. India and France recently celebrated 25 years of Strategic Partnership. Both countries enjoy a deep and wide-ranging bilateral defence relationship, including significant industrial cooperation.
In both Rome and Paris, the defence minister will also interact with the defence industry CEOs and senior representatives to discuss potential opportunities for industrial cooperation. Officials said the potential for joint development of military platforms will be part of Rajnath’s discussions both in Rome and Paris.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris in July during which the two sides announced a raft of ground-breaking defence cooperation projects, including the joint development of jet and helicopter engines and construction of three Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy.
The two strategic partners also expressed commitment to cooperate in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of third countries.