India
and France have agreed to enhance cooperation in the Southwest Indian Ocean,
building on the joint surveillance missions conducted from the French island
territory of La Reunion in 2020 and 2022.
Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron
also agreed on their commitment to further strengthen the long-standing
partnership between the two countries. They also underscored the region's
importance for their respective sovereign and strategic interests and
recognized the critical role of their partnership in advancing a free, open,
inclusive, secure, and peaceful Indo-Pacific and beyond.
As per
India-France Joint Statement, India and France also welcomed the extension of
interactions in India's maritime neighborhood. Notably, these interactions may
positively contribute to the securitization of strategic sea lanes of
communication.