New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday discussed regional issues, including recent developments in Afghanistan, besides reviewing the growing bilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
In the context of Afghanistan, where the Taliban has seized power, the two leaders shared their concerns about the potential spread of terrorism, narcotics, illegal weapons and human trafficking.
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Prime Minister Modi and the French President during their telephonic conversation also stressed the need to ensure human rights, rights of women and minorities.
“They reviewed the growing bilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and the important role of the Indo-French partnership in promoting stability and security in the region,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a release.
They also agreed to maintain close and regular consultations in the spirit of the India-French Strategic Partnership, which both countries deeply cherish.
The talks between the two leaders come at a time when France is dealing with the consequences of Australia’s cancellation of a $40 billion French submarine order.
France last week withdrew its envoys from the United States and Australia after Canberra canceled its previous nuclear submarine deal with Paris.
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Australia said last week that it would scrap an earlier 2016 deal with France’s Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and instead build a fleet of at least eight nuclear ones with US and British technology, following a trilateral security partnership. – powered submarines, Reuters reported.
Expressing disappointment over Australia’s move, France called it a stab in the back.
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