India and France adopted a roadmap for cooperation in AI and concluded 9 different agreements, together with three to spice up civil nuclear cooperation, as PM Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron held bilateral talks, reaffirming their robust dedication to the strategic partnership between the 2 nations.
Among the many main takeaways was an settlement for collectively growing and producing superior and small modular reactors that might maintain the important thing to powering the energy-intensive AI business in each nations. The heads of state mentioned the West Asia state of affairs and Ukraine struggle and enhanced their Indo-Pacific partnership with a pact for triangular cooperation to advertise sustainable growth in third nations within the area.
Whereas no settlement was signed in defence, Modi and Macron welcomed cooperation in constructing air and maritime property. The 2 travelled toget her within the French presidential air
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4 of the agreements signed had been in areas associated to expertise and innovation. Whereas the leaders didn’t deal with the media, they acknowledged in a joint assertion India-France civil nuclear ties and efforts in cooperation on the peaceable makes use of of nuclear power, notably in relation with the Jaitapur nuclear energy plant challenge. They welcomed the partnership for co-designing, codeveloping and co-producing superior modular reactors (AMR) and small modular reactors (SMR). India has been in contact with the US, Russia and France for the previous couple of years for collectively growing the expertise and the difficulty is more likely to determine in Modi’s engagements within the US too on Thursday.
International secretary Vikram Misri mentioned cooperation in SMR and AMR was necessary additionally for AI, recalling Worldwide Power Company chief Fatih Birol’s comment that AI primarily means electrical energy. “And the amount of electricity that will be needed, if it is going to be sustainable, then it has to be something like nuclear power-driven electricity. And that is the area in which SMRs and AMRs can play a key role. It can also help us tackle complications in conventional projects,” Misri mentioned.
The leaders additionally agreed to work intently on implementing the India-Center East-Europe Hall (IMEEC) initiative, stressing its significance for connectivity, sustainable progress and entry to scrub power. On this regard, they acknowledged the strategic location of Marseille on the Mediterranean Sea, the joint assertion mentioned.
Modi and Macron underlined their widespread dedication to a free, open, inclusive, safe and peaceable Indo-Pa cific area, the place France is a resident energy. On trilateral cooperation within the area, Misri mentioned the selection of initiatives might be pushed by host nations. “These are demand-driven initiatives and not supply-driven initiatives. And we feel that it is important for us to provide choices to countries, among our partners, with regard to development cooperation pathways. And I think India and France have a certain alignment in their thinking about this kind of cooperation,” he mentioned.
There was focus additionally on ability growth and vocational schooling as Modi and Macron welcomed the operationalisation of the Younger Professionals Scheme (YPS), underneath the India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Settlement (MMPA), which is predicted to facilitate two-way mobility of youth and professionals.
France reiterated its agency assist for India’s everlasting membership of the UN Safety Council as Modi and Macron emphasised the pressing want for reform of the Council. “The two leaders agreed to strengthen conversations on regulation of use of the veto in case of mass atrocities. They held extensive discussions on long-term global challenges and current international developments and agreed to intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral initiatives and institutions,” the joint assertion mentioned.
France joined India in unequivocally condemning all types of terrorism, together with, importantly for India, cross-border terrorism, and referred to as for the disruption of terrorism-financing networks and secure havens.
“They further agreed that no country should provide safe haven to those who finance, plan, support or commit terrorist acts. The leaders also called for concerted action against all terrorists, including through designations of individuals affiliated with groups that are listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee,” the joint assertion mentioned.
