India and France on Monday announced a major elevation of their bilateral relationship to a “special global strategic partnership,” marking a significant expansion of cooperation in key areas including defence, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, space, climate action and global governance.
The decision was unveiled following high-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai, bringing Macron’s fourth visit to India to a close and highlighting the growing strategic alignment between New Delhi and Paris.
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In a joint statement issued on February 17, both sides said the upgraded partnership reflects their shared ambition to move beyond a traditional bilateral framework and work together as long-term partners in shaping global economic, security and technological outcomes amid an increasingly complex international landscape.
Strategic Partnership Gets Global Dimension
India and France agreed to elevate their long-standing strategic partnership, established in 1998, to a special global strategic partnership, signalling a broader and more future-oriented vision for ties. Officials described the new framework as one that will guide cooperation for decades and align with the Horizon 2047 Roadmap, which outlines collaboration up to the centenary of India’s independence and 50 years of the India-France strategic partnership.
The two countries also announced the creation of an annual Foreign Ministers Comprehensive Dialogue, designed to review progress and steer cooperation across economic security, global challenges and people-to-people exchanges.
Diplomatic sources said the new mechanism is intended to strengthen political coordination at a time when both nations are responding to shifting geopolitical alignments, supply chain disruptions and evolving security challenges.
With the latest upgrade, India and France have reaffirmed their intent to position their partnership as a cornerstone of stability, innovation and sustainable growth in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
