Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman begins three-day visit to France

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has left for Paris on a three-day visit to France. Officials sources said Ms Sitharaman will hold wide-ranging talks with her French counterpart Florence Parly on ways to deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries and also deliberate on major regional and global issues of mutual interests. 

In their talks, both the leaders are expected to



deliberate on joint production of military platforms and weapons by the two countries. French President Emmanuel Macron had visited India in March during which the two countries decided to expand strategic ties and deepen counter-terror cooperation. The two sides also inked a strategic pact providing for the use of each other's military facilities including opening naval bases to warships.