France celebrated the festival of Holi with fervor and enthusiasm as around 20,000 people joined in the festivities, the Embassy of India in France shared on Monday.
Grillo visited India from May 14-16 to strengthen Indo-French cooperation. During her visit, she co-chaired the Governing Council meeting of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) alongside Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India.
Speaking to ANI, Ranjeet Rai said that the Indian Navy will celebrate the signing of the agreement between India and France and termed it a "very important day." He stated that the world would be reporting on India's agreement on the procurement of 26 Rafale aircraft.
In a statement, Trappier expressed gratitude to India for their confidence in Dassault Aviation and reaffirmed company's commitment to contribute to India's expression of its sovereign power, its strategic challenges and its ambitious vision of the future.
"The agreement includes Training, Simulator, Associated Equipment, Weapons and Performance-Based Logistics. It also includes additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF)," the statement said.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot expressed solidarity with India following the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it an act of barbarity. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed the support during a call between the two ministers.
French Minister Francois-Noel Buffet, attached to the Ministre d'Etat, Minister of the Interior, will visit India on April 23, as noted by the French Embassy to India in a press statement.
India and France are expected to sign their largest-ever defence deal for the sale of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy on April 28 in the presence of French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
The French Embassy in India said on Monday that as France assumes the monthly presidency of the United Nations' Security Council, it will focus on the need for UNSC reform aimed at giving India a permanent seat.