New Delhi/Paris, 09 January (H.S.): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a pivotal meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, January 8, conveying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's warm personal greetings and reinforcing the burgeoning India-France strategic partnership amid evolving global dynamics.

Jaishankar expressed profound appreciation for Macron's insights into contemporary international developments, including trade disruptions, energy transitions, and geopolitical realignments. The discussions underscored France's positive disposition toward bilateral collaboration, positioning the two nations as key architects of multipolarity and strategic autonomy on the world stage.

This encounter followed Jaishankar's address to France's Ambassadors' Conference earlier that day, where he illuminated seismic global shifts propelled by finance, technology, resources, and connectivity, emphasizing mindset transformations as a linchpin of change.

Broader Diplomatic Engagements Bolster Momentum

In a parallel development, President Macron announced his forthcoming visit to India next month to attend New Delhi's AI Impact Summit, a declaration made during his address to the Diplomatic Corps and reported by France 24. This commitment highlights France's stake in India's technological ascent and joint endeavors in artificial intelligence governance.

Jaishankar's Wednesday meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot further advanced bilateral cooperation and elevated India-EU synergies, with both leaders aligning on stabilizing global politics through active international engagement.

Characterizing France as one of India's most enduring strategic allies, Jaishankar stressed the imperative of their tandem efforts—not merely for mutual prosperity but for mitigating worldwide instabilities—amid a landscape marked by assertive multipolar aspirations.

These interactions, meticulously timed during Jaishankar's Paris itinerary, affirm Indo-French relations as a cornerstone of resilient diplomacy in an era of flux.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar