Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict in detail and its impact on the developing countries. He said that the Prime Minister has been the biggest advocate that the conflict must be resolved with diplomacy.

“In today’s discussions between the two leaders (PM Modi-President Macron), there is a very clear understanding and appreciation of each other’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. PM Modi has been perhaps the strongest advocate of resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue on diplomacy,” Foreign Secretary Kwatra said.

“So when the two leaders meet like they met earlier today and yesterday also they discussed at length what the current status is of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But from our perspective, and I think this has been greatly appreciated by the friend side also.

They also discussed what the impact of this conflict is on developing countries, the challenges, the exacerbating challenges of food security, and the growing uncertainty that it creates for the energy security rapid increase in fertilizer security challenges which can translate into food security challenges tomorrow.So all these things came up for comprehensive conversation between the two leaders and they shared their perspective,” Kwatra added.

Speaking on Defence ties, Kwatra said, “The 2047 Horizon document looks at security and sovereignty in a more holistic and a comprehensive manner rather than as a set of individual transactions. The reason for that is because the metrics of defence partnership are not defined by a single acquisition or a non-acquisition, single procurement or a single transaction.”

“The nature of India-France strategic partnership looks at all elements of our engagement. So the document talks of the two countries, India and France committed to cooperating on co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies,” he added.

“It also talks of India’s intent to build its own defence industrial and technological base. This is a vision document. The underpinnings and the specifics of our defence partnership have been actually undertaking technology partnerships,” Kwatra said on Defence ties between India and France.

“You will find an entire range of full range actually of military exercises between the armed forces in terms of military-industrial cooperation, research design, and transfer of technology. Coproduction co-manufacturing is increasingly focused on in the years ahead. Supply chain integration between the manufacturing ecosystem, in the field of defence between the two countries. technology value chain integrations going forward between the two countries,” Kwatra said further on defence.
Without going into any details of helicopter engines or aero engines or any other aspects, Kwatra said that a lot of these are captured in the larger rubric of advanced defence technologies.

“The Prime Minister is very clear that a lot of these things have to link into the priority of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Foreign Secretary said.

Source ANI