Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday discussed the government’s move to suspend Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and split the State into two Union Territories.
Briefing the media in Chantilly after one-on-one talks that lasted more than 90 minutes, Mr. Macron said France would support any policy that would give the region “stability”, adding that no one should “provoke violence” there.
“Prime Minister Modi explained the decisions to me, and said that this is a sovereign issue for India. France believes that issue of Kashmir should be resolved between India and Pakistan and no other party should be involved,” Mr Macros said.
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“We would like to support any policy that keeps the situation stable and free from terror. I will be speaking to the Pakistan PM shortly, and would say to him to that this issue must be resolved bilaterally as well,” he added.
Mr. Macron said at Chantilly, in talks that precede the upcoming G7 summit in Biarritz, where India has been invited as a special guest. The last time India was invited to the group of the world’s biggest economies was in 2005, when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had attended the then G8 meet in Scotland.
Thanking the French government for its support on security and countering “cross-border terror”, Mr Modi said India and France had finalised several steps to strengthen their strategic partnership. PM Modi also said India looks forward to the first delivery of the Rafael fighter jets in September.
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“In the past, India and France have walked together and fought fascism and extremism together. Today as we face challenges of terrorism and climate change etc, France and India stand together with full support,” Mr. Modi said, describing the International Solar Alliance as proof of India-France cooperation in “action, not just beautiful words”.
“Today as we face challenges of terrorism and climate change etc, France and India stand together with full support,” Mr. Modi said, describing the International Solar Alliance as proof of India-France cooperation in “action, not just beautiful words”.