India-France to strengthen partnerships in a wide range of fields
Following the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France from 13-14 July 2023, 34 agreements, MoUs and Letters of Intent were signed by the Indian-French groups, strengthening dealings in businesses and technologies.
These were:
Institutional Cooperation
1. Letter of Intent on the New National Museum and Cooperation on Museology (Letter of Intent).
2. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies between MeitY and French Ministry of Economy – MoU.
3. Technical Cooperation between Direction-Générale d’Aviation Civile, France and Airports Authority of India in the field of Civil Aviation – MoU.
4. Technical arrangements for Civil Aviation Security (AVSEC) between India and France – MoU.
5. Letter of Intent between Prasar Bharati and France Media Monde.
6. MoU between Invest India and Business France.
Cooperation in the area of Space
7. India-France joint Earth Observation mission TRISHNA Implementing Arrangement.
8. Maritime Domain Awareness short-term programme Implementing Arrangement.
9. Agreement on Conjunction Analysis and Evaluation Service: Alerts and Recommendations (CAESAR) and use of Exert Modules of JAVA for Assessment of Conjunction (JAC) software.
10. Joint Declaration between ISRO and CNES Concerning Joint Developments in the field of Launchers.
Scientific Cooperation
11. Letter of Intent between India and France for Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine (Letter of Intent)
12. MoU between the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Chennai and Instiut Français de Recherche pour l’exploitation de la Mer(IFREMER) – MoU.
Cooperation in Strategic Areas
13. Head of Agreement (HoA) between Indian Oil Corporation Limited and M/s Total Energies Gas and Power Ltd (Total Energies) to establish a long-term LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
Announcements
Cooperation in Political/Strategic Areas
1. Roadmap on Indo-French Strategic Partnership Horizon 2047.
2. Roadmap India-France Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
3. NSIL and Arianespace intent to collaborate in commercial launch services (Letter of Intent).
Cooperation on Sustainable Development
4. Joint Commitment on Eliminating Single-use Plastic Pollution.
Cooperation for People-to-People Exchanges and Welfare
5. Opening up of Consulate General of India in Marseille.
6. Cooperation the Area of Sports.
7. Increase in CEFIPRA (Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research) Funding by Euro1 million on each side and increased scholarships.
8. Issuance of five-year validity short-stay Schengen Visa for Indians who are degree holders from French educational institutions (Masters and above).
9. Exemption of Visas on Official Passports.
Agreement between Proparco (subsidiary of French Development Agency) and Satya Microfinance for US$20 million to support Satya in growing its microcredit/MSME portfolio and foster inclusion of unbanked people, especially rural women (96% of the beneficiaries) and young people.
11. French support to the 2nd phase of the Indian programme on sustainable cities – “City Investments to Innovate, integrate and Sustain” (CITIIS 2.0), co-financed with Germany and the EU to support competitively selected projects promoting circular economy with focus on integrated waste management at the city level, climate-oriented reform actions at the State level, and institutional strengthening and knowledge dissemination at the National level. Fiinews.com
