New Delhi: The 17th Indian Navy (IN) and French Navy (FN) staff talks took place in New Delhi from February 6 to 7, focusing on strengthening cooperation and exploring new avenues for collaboration in various naval domains.
Rear Adm Nirbhay Bapna, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff—Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence, and Rear Adm Jean-Marc Durandau, Director of International Engagements, French Navy, co-chaired the discussions, emphasising the importance of enhancing interoperability and coordination between the two navies.
During the talks, both sides acknowledged the existing cooperation between the Indian Navy and the French Navy and expressed their commitment to furthering collaboration in operational, training, and subject-matter expert exchanges within the maritime domain.
In a significant move highlighting the depth of cooperation, Rear Adm Jean-Marc Durandau, alongside the staff talks, paid a visit to Vice Adm Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, on February 7. Their discussions underscored the high level of synergy and interoperability between the Indian and French Navies, reaffirming the strong bilateral ties.
Rear Adm Durandau also visited the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) on February 6. Established by the Government of India in 2018 and hosted by the Indian Navy, IFC-IOR serves as a platform for promoting collaboration among regional and international stakeholders to enhance maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region.
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