French FM Colonna To Visit India For G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting And Raisina Dialogue

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, will be visiting India on March 2 and 3 to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the Raisina Dialogue, and engage with her Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on bilateral engagements.

Colonna will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in New Delhi which is under India's presidency, and participate in discussions and sessions on: "Strengthening Multilateralism and Need for Reforms", "Food and Energy Security", and "Development Cooperation", "Counter-Terrorism: New and Emerging Threats", "Global Skill Mapping and Talent Pool", and "Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief."

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She will participate in one of the inaugural panel discussions of the annual Raisina Dialogue titled; Lessons and Look Ahead: Black Swans and Lighthouses. Colonna's visit will help in strengthening bilateral ties and setting the stage for an audacious renewal of the Indo-French strategic partnership in the year marking its 25th anniversary.

Minister Colonna will hold bilateral consultations with her Indian counterpart, with their discussions encompassing every aspect of the Indo-French strategic partnership in order to get ready for its ambitious renewal and augmentation, setting new partnership objectives for the coming years. The two Foreign Ministers will also bring up global and regional issues of mutual interest, such as the conflict in Ukraine and their Indo-Pacific joint strategy, as well as alignment on issues under deliberation at international forums.

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They will evaluate the development and progress of the Indo-Pacific collaborative efforts, such as the Indo-Pacific Development Cooperation Fund, which France and India launched in September 2022 to finance sustainable solutions in the region's countries, as well as the execution of the Indo-French Roadmap for Blue Economy and Ocean Governance.

The French Foreign Affairs Minister will also hold a meeting with Ajit Doval, the National Security Adviser of India, for discussions on regional and global security issues, bilateral cooperation on security and counter-terrorism, and France's adherence to becoming India's leading shareholder on the journey to "Aatmanirbhar Bharat".

The French Minister will also meet with India's Culture Minister, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, to discuss how France can be India's "knowledge partner" in the creation of a new National Museum in Delhi. She will also inaugurate France's tenure as the EU Gender Champion initiative in India, during which France will work to improve gender equality in its actions in and with India over the next six months.

Finally, Colonna will meet the first cohort of the France-India Foundation's new Young Leaders programme, which brings together talented French and Indian youths from all walks of life to forge lasting bonds between our two countries.