India and France adopt roadmap on blue economy and ocean governance | Latest India News

India and France have adopted a blue economy and ocean governance roadmap to strengthen the partnership for the exploitation and preservation of marine resources through economic, infrastructural and scientific cooperation.

The roadmap was adopted during a meeting between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris on Sunday. The roadmap is part of the measures agreed by the two ministers to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, defense and security, health, education, research and innovation, energy and climate change.

Jaishankar traveled to France after attending the Munich security conference in Germany last week. France is one of India’s closest strategic partners in Europe, and both sides also work with third countries in areas such as critical technologies and resilient supply chains.

During their talks, Jaishankar and Le Drian appreciated the close cooperation between India and France during the Covid-19 pandemic and agreed on deepening the strategic partnership, the ministry said. Foreign Affairs in a press release. The “India-France Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance” adopted by the two parties envisages strengthening the partnership in the blue economy through institutional, economic, infrastructural and scientific cooperation, said he declared.

The two ministers agreed to continue and strengthen cooperation in the field of sports and soon conclude a joint declaration of intent in the field of sports to facilitate people-to-people contacts. They also agreed to strengthen the long-standing cooperation on public administration and administrative reforms between relevant authorities in India and France.

Jaishankar and Le Drian discussed major regional and global issues, in particular the relationship between India and the European Union (EU) and the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU which started on January 1. Jaishankar appreciated the French initiative to host an EU ministerial forum on Indo-Pacific cooperation on February 22, where he will participate with several other ministers from Indo-Pacific and EU countries.

They agreed to intensify India-EU relations under the French Presidency, and the need to start negotiations on India-EU free trade and investment agreements and implement the India-EU partnership to connectivity.

Jaishankar and Le Drian further agreed to jointly launch an Indo-French call for an “Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership” at the EU Ministerial Forum on Tuesday to build the region’s capacity for sustainable park management. protected. This will be done by bringing together and sharing the experiences and expertise of leading managers of public and private natural parks in the Indo-Pacific.

The two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Afghanistan, efforts to revive the Iranian nuclear deal and developments in Ukraine. “They reiterated their common commitment to the principles of multilateralism and a rules-based order, and agreed to coordinate within the UN Security Council on issues of common concern,” the statement said.

Jaishankar will hold meetings with other French leaders, European commissioners and his counterparts from other Indo-Pacific countries participating in the EU ministerial forum.