India and France signed 14 agreements after delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday. “This is not just a meeting of two leaders but a meeting of common ideologies of two nations,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. “Liberty, equality and fraternity – it is not just in France, but also present in the Indian Constitution.”
The two countries have signed an agreement which would ensure that the education institutes in the two countries recognise each other’s degrees and qualifications, Modi said. The two governments had also signed agreements on “migration and mobility partnership”, he added.
Modi and Macron reiterated their commitment to the international solar alliance. “For the future of planet earth, we are committed to the international solar alliance,” the prime minister said. “I am sure you [Macron] will experience the wisdom of India in Varanasi. In the next two days, President Macron and I will continue to discuss various ideas and issues.”
On defence ties, Modi said the two countries planned to implement a joint strategic vision for the Indian Ocean. “In the future, Indian Ocean will play a crucial role in peace and stability, whether it is about environment or freedom of navigation,” Modi said.
Earlier on Saturday, Macron received a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The French leader and his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, who are on a four-day visit to India, also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. The French leader also also met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Macron arrived in India on Friday night and was received by Modi at the airport. The two leaders on Monday will co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance, which is an initiative launched by Modi and Macron in 2015 on the sidelines of the Paris climate conference.
The French president’s visit also aims to strengthen the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension between India and France. The bilateral trade between the two countries reached $10.95 billion (approximately Rs 71,000 crore) from April 2016 to March 2017.
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