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India, France to hold joint military exercises

India and France have agreed to conduct joint military exercises and hold the second meeting of the Indo-French High Committee on Defence Co-operation in New Delhi later this year.

These and a host of other measures to boost defence co-operation were agreed upon during Defence Minister George Fernandes' four-day visit to France.

Fernandes returned to Delhi on Thursday.

A joint statement issued at the end the visit said: ''It was agreed that co-operation between the armed forces of the two sides would be encouraged to include bilateral exchanges, joint exercises and training, and to continue the ongoing dialogue on defence, politico-military and security issues in a systematic and regular manner through the high committee on defence cooperation.''

French Defence Minister Alain Richard also accepted the invitation to visit India this year.

Fernandes and Richard exchanged views on several issues including the security environment and trends in their respective regions, ways to impart greater dynamism to bilateral defence co-operation and the restructuring of armed forces.

The defence minister was briefed by the chief of the joint staff of the French armed forces on the organisation of their command structure.

During the discussions, both sides underscored that co-operation in defence was vital, and all efforts should be made to enhance and deepen it.

''This co-operation is seen by both sides in a long-term perspective, covering strategic dialogue, defence research and production and relations between the armed forces of the two sides,'' the statement said.

The Indo-French defence co-operation is part of the overall Indo-French relationship and is based on the understanding and appreciation of each other's security interests, priorities and aspirations, the statement added.

Fernandes also visited the memorial to Indian soldiers, who sacrificed their lives in the French theatre during World War I, at Neuve Chapelie.

UNI

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