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NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will be on a six-day official visit to France and Luxembourg, during which he will hold high-level meetings aimed at strengthening India’s bilateral ties with both countries.According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit will take place between January 4 and January 10.During his visit to France, Jaishankar will meet with French leadership and speak with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.The discussions are expected to focus on progress under the India-France Strategic Partnership and key regional and global issues of mutual interest.While in Paris, the External Affairs Minister will also address the 31st edition of the French Ambassadors’ Conference as the Guest of Honour, highlighting India’s perspectives on global diplomacy and international cooperation.”In Paris, he will be meeting the French leadership and hold talks with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot. They will discuss the progress made under the India-France Strategic Partnership and matters of global importance. EAM will also address the 31st edition of the French Ambassador’s Conference as the Guest of Honour,” the statement read.According to the MEA, India and France have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations and share a deep and enduring Strategic Partnership (SP) covering all aspects of bilateral cooperation, which involves a strategic component. Launched on 26 January 1998, India’s first-ever Strategic Partnership embodied the core vision of both countries to enhance their respective strategic independence by strengthening bilateral cooperation. Defence and security, civil nuclear matters and space constitute the principal pillars of this strategic cooperation and now include a strong Indo-Pacific component.In recent years, the partnership has broadened to include maritime security, digitalisation, cybersecurity and advanced computing, counterterrorism, climate change, renewable and sustainable growth and development, among others.Following his engagements in France, Jaishankar will travel to Luxembourg, where he will hold discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Xavier Bettel, as well as senior leaders of the country. His engagements will focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation across various sectors.During his stay in Luxembourg, the EAM is also scheduled to interact with members of the Indian community.India and Luxembourg enjoy warm and friendly relations characterised by a high degree of mutual understanding and cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels, MEA stated.The diplomatic relations between India and Luxembourg were established in 1948. Luxembourg opened its Embassy in New Delhi in February 2002, which is one of its five embassies in Asia. Luxembourg also has honorary consuls in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.The visit underscores India’s continued engagement with its European partners and its commitment to deepening strategic and diplomatic ties as negotiations between New Delhi and the European Union on a long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered a “decisive phase”.
