Modi, Macron hold talks onboard presidential aircraft; Foreign Secretary says India-France ties 'touch new heights'

Briefing the media in France on the ongoing visit, Foreign Secretary Misri said the two leaders exchanged views on recent geopolitical developments in Europe, West Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and discussed issues of global and regional importance.

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron held part of bilateral discussions onboard the presidential aircraft while travelling from Paris to Marseille, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, noting India-France "ties literally touched new heights".

Briefing the media in France on the ongoing visit, Misri said the two leaders exchanged views on recent geopolitical developments in Europe, West Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and discussed issues of global and regional importance.

Modi and Macron on Tuesday co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris, attended the India-France CEO's Forum, and later in the evening travelled to Marseille.

They travelled to Marseille in "the French presidential aircraft", the FS said, terming it "an exceptional gesture by President Macron, emblematic of deep personal trust between the two leaders, and remarkable confidence they have in each other".

"You can say India-France ties literally touched new heights," Misri said, adding that some parts of bilateral discussions took place in Marseille too.

"The discussion covered an entire gamut of our deep and diverse strategic partnership," he said.

They reviewed the bilateral cooperation in areas of defence, space and civil nuclear cooperation, health and people-to-people ties, the foreign secretary said.

AI was a "major area" of bilateral discussion between the two sides, he said.