India France To Develop Trilateral Framework For Development Projects

France is central to emergence of multi-polarity and has also been extremely responsive to India's concerns and priorities.

India and France on Wednesday agreed to set up an Indo-Pacific trilateral framework to roll out development projects, decided to expand strategic cooperation and vowed to work closely to deal with pressing global challenges such as food crisis triggered by the Ukraine war.

After wide-ranging talks with her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna described Russian attacks on Ukraine as waging a "devastating war of aggression" on the territory of a sovereign state and that France is determined to work with India addressing the "terrible consequences" of the war.

Referring to the Indo-Pacific, she said many challenges have emerged because of China and both France and India share the same concerns "because we know the role that the Chinese are playing and we want to make sure there is no imbalance" in the region.

India and France also decided to expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific under separate trilaterals with Australia and the United Arab Emirates.