19:37, 10-Mar-2018
Macron in New Delhi: Background: India-France relations
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Relations between France and India have been close for a long time. Let's take a quick look at this.
India and France have a long and close relationship and strong trade ties. In 1998, France refrained from criticizing India for carrying out five new nuclear tests.
Instead, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership in 1998 and France voted in favor of permanent membership for India in the UN Security Council.
Their long-standing relationship has resulted in cooperation in aerospace, civil nuclear energy and defense. France is the ninth largest foreign investor in India. Bilateral trade was around 10 billion US dollars in the last financial year.
France is one of the largest suppliers of nuclear fuel to India and a major supplier of military equipment.
In 2015, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and the French-based multinational group, Areva, signed two Memoranda of Understanding on civil nuclear power cooperation. Two years ago, India signed a 10-billion-dollar deal to buy 36 Rafale jets.
India and France also have extensive links in culture, science and technology and education. They launched an International Solar Alliance at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, to boost solar energy in developing countries.
And an Indo-French Consortium of Universities was established in 2008 to increase educational cooperation.