Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman began a 4-day official visit to France on Wednesday to participate in a series of high-level bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between India and France, enhancing economic cooperation, encouraging investment, technological cooperation and innovation.
Among the key engagements during the visit will be the India-France Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), which will be co-chaired by Sitharaman and Roland Lescure, French Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial Sovereignty and Energy, in Aix-en-Provence. As part of the Economic Forum for Development, the two countries will discuss potential areas for further bilateral cooperation in various sectors, and further strengthen economic ties between India and France.
During the visit, the Union Finance Minister will hold one-on-one meetings with a select group of global executives and will also participate in a roundtable interaction with senior business executives to showcase India’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals, ongoing structural reforms, expanding investment opportunities and long-term growth prospects, an official release said.
Read also | Minister of Finance: The government is open to the opinions of stakeholders regarding reducing the capital gains tax on stock investments
Sitharaman will participate in a panel discussion on the topic “How to foster the growth of a new middle class” at Les Rencontres Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence, one of Europe’s leading annual forums for dialogue on global economic and public policy issues. Organized by Le Cercle des Economics, the forum brings together heads of government, ministers, central bank governors, business leaders, economists, academics and representatives of international organizations from around the world to deliberate on contemporary economic challenges.
The Union Finance Minister will pay a visit to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project at Kadarash. ITER is one of the world’s largest international scientific cooperation projects in the field of nuclear fusion energy, with more than 30 partner countries, including India and France.
She will also visit Campus Cyber, the French national center dedicated to cybersecurity innovation, research, skills development and collaboration between government, industry and academia. The visit is expected to facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices in enhancing cyber resilience and encouraging innovation in the digital economy.
Seetharaman will also meet Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region, and discuss ways to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including investment, innovation, clean energy, technology and regional economic partnerships.
The Union Finance Minister will conclude her official visit with a community event with members of the Indian diaspora.
