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12 septembre 2014 5 12 /09 /septembre /2014 11:35
Armement : MBDA pourrait perdre très gros en Inde

Le programme SRSAM développé en partie par le missilier MBDA pourrait être annulé en Inde (Crédits : MBDA)

 

12/09/2014 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

 

Un contrat de 1,8 milliard d'euros en Inde pourrait échapper au missilier européen et à son partenaire Thales. Faute de financement, New Delhi pourrait annuler le programme SRSAM, un missile sol-air. En revanche, MBDA revient en cour en Turquie.

 

 

Ce serait une grosse tuile pour MBDA et son partenaire Thales en Inde. Selon plusieurs sources concordantes industrielles et étatiques, le nouveau gouvernement indien pourrait annuler le programme SRSAM (Short Range Surface to Air Missile) faute de trouver un financement. Ce missile sol-air de nouvelle génération devait être co-développé avec la DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) et coproduit en Inde avec Bharat Dynamics Limited. Le missilier européen était associé ainsi que son fournisseur, Thales, à ce programme.

"Nous sommes inquiets pour ce projet", explique-t-on aujourd'hui à Paris à La Tribune. Quant aux industriels, ils confirment à demi-mot qu'il règne une certaine confusion en Inde sur ce dossier. D'autant que les Israéliens tentent le tout pour le tout pour faire annuler ce contrat dans ce pays qui reste un de leur meilleur client export.

Pour autant, les autorités françaises poursuivent leurs actions en Inde. "Tant que le programme n'est pas annulé officiellement, nous nous battrons", indique-t-on à Paris. Deux réunions de haut niveau ont ainsi eu lieu lors des deux dernières semaines, selon nos informations. En parallèle, MBDA poursuit également ses actions auprès de la DRDO notamment. Le missilier rappelle que le besoin opérationnel reste évident et les autorités ont conscience des atouts majeurs que représente son offre, qui donne la part belle à l'industrie locale avec un transfert de technologies important.

Vers une annulation ?

Le projet est estimé à 4,5 milliards d'euros (6 milliards de dollars), dont 1,8 milliard d'euros devait revenir à MBDA, qui attend depuis des années ce très beau contrat. En tant que sous-traitant, Thales aurait gonflé son carnet de commandes d'environ 400 millions d'euros. Les deux groupes négocient ce contrat depuis près de dix ans. Depuis décembre 2011, les négociations sont même terminées. En février 2013 à l'issue de la visite de François Hollande, un communiqué de l'ancien Premier ministre indien, Dr Manmohan Singh's avait par ailleurs annoncé avoir conclu avec les industriels les négociations sur le missile SRSAM.

Pour quelles raisons l'Inde pourrait-elle annuler le SRSAM ? Initialement conçu par l'armée de Terre, de l'air et la Marine, ce système ne devait in fine équiper que la seule marine. L'armée de terre et de l'air ont quitté le programme et se sont dirigés vers d'autres programmes... et des budgets concurrents. Notamment le missile Akash développé par la DRDO pour le compte de l'armée de terre et de l'air. Un programme qui a été testé dix fois  par les deux armées depuis le début de l'année. "Les tests ont été conduits dans des configurations d'engagement et de cibles différentes", avait expliqué début août le ministère de la Défense indien.

Retour en grâce en Turquie

La Turquie, qui a fin août prolongé les négociations jusqu'à la fin 2014, mène des discussions avec la France pour l'achat d'un système antimissile (programme T-Loramids) après les difficultés rencontrées dans les négociations avec une société chinoise placée sur liste noire par les États-Unis, a annoncé le président turc cité par la presse dimanche. "Certains désaccords sont survenus avec la Chine sur la question de la fabrication conjointe et du savoir-faire pour le système antimissile", avait déclaré le président Recep Tayyip Erdogan en marge du sommet de l'Otan aux Pays de Galle, selon la télévision privée NTV.

"Malgré cela, les discussions se poursuivent, mais la France, deuxième sur la liste (ndlr: des fournisseurs éventuels) nous a fait une nouvelle offre" et "actuellement nous menons des discussions avec la France", a précisé le chef de l'Etat. Plus précisément avec le GI Eurosam composé de MBDA et Thales. Les deux industriels tricolores, qui étaient arrivés devant le Patriot américain, proposent le système SAMP/T, armé de missiles Aster 30 (MBDA) et équipé des radars Arabel et/ou GM400 (Thales). Pour ce contrat, "la production conjointe est importante pour nous", a expliqué le président turc.

Ankara discutait exclusivement avec Pékin

En septembre 2013, la Turquie avait retenu la compagnie chinoise China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corporation (CPMIEC) pour la livraison de missiles sol-air de longue portée, provoquant la préoccupation de Washington. CPMIEC, qui fabrique le système antimissile HQ-9, est la cible de sanctions américaines pour avoir vendu des armes et de la technologie liée aux missiles à l'Iran et à la Syrie. L'initiative turque avait également irrité les alliés d'Ankara au sein de l'Otan, pour qui les systèmes d'armes des membres de l'Alliance doivent être compatibles entre eux.

CPMIEC avait été retenue au détriment des américains Raytheon et Lockheed Martin, du russe Rosoboronexport et du consortium franco-italien Eurosam (MBDA et Thales) pour ce contrat estimé entre 3 et 4 milliards d'euros. Ankara aurait dû normalement confirmer sa décision à l'été 2014.

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3 décembre 2013 2 03 /12 /décembre /2013 13:35
MBDA ne signera pas le mégacontrat SRSAM en Inde en 2013

Le mégacontrat SRSAM (Short Range Surface to Air Missile), un missile sol-air de nouvelle génération, est actuellement dans les mains du Bercy indien

 

03/12/2013 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

 

Selon des sources concordantes, MBDA ne signera pas en 2013 le mégacontrat SRSAM (Short Range Surface to Air Missile), un missile sol-air de nouvelle génération, co-développé et coproduit en Inde avec Bharat Dynamics Limited. Un contrat estimé à 1,8 milliard d'euros pour MBDA


 

Encore raté. MBDA ne signera pas en 2013 le mégacontrat SRSAM (Short Range Surface to Air Missile), un missile sol-air de nouvelle génération, co-développé et coproduit en Inde avec Bharat Dynamics Limited, selon des sources concordantes. Deux ans que les négociations sont pourtant terminées, depuis décembre 2011 exactement. 

Le contrat n'est pas encore notifié. Il doit être approuvé successivement par le ministère de la Défense, puis par celui des Finances et enfin par le CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security), présidé par le Premier Ministre. Le CCS réunit également les ministres indiens de la Défense, des Finances, de l'Intérieur et des Affaires étrangères. Il est actuellement dans les mains du Bercy indien.

 

Un contrat de 1,8 milliard d'euros pour MBDA

En février dernier, lors de la visite de François Hollande, New Delhi avait annoncé avoir "conclu des négociations sur le missile SRSAM". Un contrat de l'ordre de 6 milliards de dollars (4,5 milliards d'euros), dont 1,8 milliard reviendra à MBDA, qui attend depuis des années ce très beau contrat. En tant que sous-traitant de MBDA, Thales gonflera son carnet de commandes d'environ 400 millions d'euros. Selon nos informations, le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Laurent Fabius, sera en Inde en janvier, quelques mois avant la tenue des élections législatives.

Le programme SRSAM s'appuie sur le travail effectué par le DRDO (Défense recherche et développement organisation) et sur un transfert de technologies de MBDA pour combler les lacunes de l'industrie indienne. A terme, il est prévu la production d'environ 2.000 missiles SRSAM  par Bharat Dynamics Limited. Ce système de défense anti-aérienne répondra aux besoins de l'armée de l'Air et de la Marine.

En Inde, le missilier a également bon espoir de vendre des missiles air-air Asraam en vue d'armer les vieux Jaguar de l'armée de l'air indienne et d'équiper les Rafale indiens.

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13 juin 2013 4 13 /06 /juin /2013 07:55
Jean-Yves Le Drian et Antoine Bouvier, PDG de MBDA à Bourges (Crédits G Belan FOB)

Jean-Yves Le Drian et Antoine Bouvier, PDG de MBDA à Bourges (Crédits G Belan FOB)

Jun. 10, 2013 - By Andrew Chuter in Paris. – Defense News

 

Europe’s top missile maker emerged from the recent publication of the French government’s austerity-driven defense white paper with three big development programs intact — and an endorsement from the administration of President François Hollande that the company’s strategy to restructure its French and UK capabilities in France toward specialization and mutual dependency could be a model for the defense sector.

 

The white paper’s support for Europe, and particularly the 2010 Anglo-French defense treaty, would have been music to the ears of MBDA Chief Executive Antoine Bouvier, whose company has assets and shareholders in Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

 

Challenges remain, though. MBDA has to nail down contracts for the three programs confirmed by the white paper: a longer-range Aster air defense system, a new medium-range anti-tank missile and the anti-ship missile that France is launching with Britain. It also must resolve the future of the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) missile program in the wake of the US decision to pull the plug on funding.

 

Outside of Europe, a big deal to develop a short-range surface-to-air missile with India awaits approval from New Delhi, and Bouvier admits efforts to make a significant breakthrough into the US market are taking longer than expected.

 

Q. What was the strategic message you took from the French government’s decision to approve three key missile programs in its recent defense white paper?

 

A. As a company with shareholders and assets across Europe, it was very important for MBDA that when the white paper was published, it was Euro-minded, and it was. Clearly, the French government has a focus and vision about Europe at the industrial and strategic level. That was clear in the missile decision taken in its support of the defense treaty with the UK. The missile sector that MBDA leads in France and in the UK is specifically referred to in the document as the model for integrating the defense industry in Europe. What is also key for us was the white paper’s recognition that the defense industry is an essential component of France’s wider strategic policy.

 

Interview: Antoine Bouvier, Chief Executive, MBDA

Q. How crucial to your integration aims was the French decision to go ahead with the launch of the anti-ship missile program with the British?

 

A. It’s provided confirmation of the decision made in the 2010 Anglo-French defense treaty to use the missile sector, and ANL/FASGW [anti-navire léger/future air-to-surface guided weapon] in particular, as the test case to prove the feasibility of a specialization and a policy of mutually agreed dependency. Our model is now confirmed as a possible template for further integration in Europe, and this was taken into account in the French decision to move ahead with the program in spite of difficult economic conditions and very difficult timing. France also confirmed through this program its commitment to Anglo-French cooperation.

 

Q. What happens now to test the mutual dependency and specialization model between France and the UK?

 

A. The ANL/FASGW launch will trigger implementation of our centers-of-excellence strategy. We have identified 12 centers in the Anglo-French context. The most optimized capability in the two countries will be used, depending on the requirement. This is something new in Europe. Previously, we have had cooperation through programs. Now, we will remove duplication with the integration of capabilities across two of our countries.

 

Four of the centers will offer specialized capabilities supplying French and British collaborative and national programs. France will be responsible for test benches and onboard computers; in the UK, it’s actuators and data links. It means each time we have a new program or a significant evolution of an existing program, we allocate activities in line with this.

 

Q. With Anglo-French operations working to one policy, and your German and Italian partners adhering to another set of rules, isn’t this an imperfect model on which to base European restructuring?

 

A. I would say it is a model in the making rather than an imperfect model, but it is taking time. The history of MBDA has been step-by-step consolidation into a European group. We make progress where we can, but we have to be pragmatic. We have an opportunity with the Anglo-French sector through the defense treaty and the initiative on the centers of excellence to move forward, and we are having discussions to extend what has been agreed to the other MBDA operations in Europe.

Interview: Antoine Bouvier, Chief Executive, MBDA

Q. When do you expect to get the new missile programs under contract?

 

A. The objective is to sign the ANL/FASGW anti-ship missile contract in the next few months, certainly by the end of this year. The higher-performance, new-technology version of the Aster 30 Block 1 [B1NT] will be 2014 at the earliest. B1NT is not just the development of a new missile, it is part of the global Aster evolutionary map, which now explicitly includes naval capability improvements. The missile moyenne portee [MMP] battlefield weapon has been confirmed as a priority, and we are setting out to get the program under contract by the end of the year.

 

Interview: Antoine Bouvier, Chief Executive, MBDA

Q. Is the MMP a French national program, or are you looking for partners?

 

A. For the moment, it’s a French program. But we also see that for other versions of the weapon, like a long-range model, we could open the program to cooperation from Europe and elsewhere.

 

MEADS launcher in the integration hall. (Photo MBDA)

MEADS launcher in the integration hall. (Photo MBDA)

Q. Will you be able to rescue anything from the MEADS program now that the US government has decided to end funding?

 

A. Cooperation between Italy and Germany on MEADS has allowed us to build high-level capabilities in this sector of extended air defense, and our plan is to build on these assets and propose to the two governments a follow-on to MEADS. US funding will continue up to 2014, and beyond that, we have to agree [on] the way forward with the German and Italian defense ministries. We are currently discussing several options, including finding new partners [identified as Poland by Italian government officials], and Lockheed Martin retaining participation in the next phase of the program.

 

Interview: Antoine Bouvier, Chief Executive, MBDA

Q. The Joint Strike Fighter program continues to mature, but so far, you have only the advanced, short-range, air-to-air missile (ASRAAM) signed up for integration. What progress are you making with other weapons for the F-35?

 

A. The feasibility of getting the Meteor air-to-air missile integrated on the platform has been confirmed by a UK Ministry of Defence study, and we are making good progress on having our weapon included as part of the upcoming Block 4 improvements on the F-35. We are having discussions with several F-35 partners to take the Meteor on the platform. Very positive discussions are ongoing with Lockheed Martin on integrating weapons like Brimstone, Storm Shadow and Spear.

 

SPEAR high precision surface attack weapon for combat aircraft

SPEAR high precision surface attack weapon for combat aircraft

Q. Does becoming a significant player in the US market remain a priority?

 

A. We may adjust our plans, but the US remains an important part of our strategy. It is taking more time than expected and is even more challenging in this time of budget restrictions. The constraints could bring with them opportunities if the customer is seeking more competition, combat-proven equipment and mature technologies.

 

Q. You have had a deal on the table with India since 2011 to develop short-range air defense missiles. What’s the position on that?

 

A. It’s our objective to get a decision this year on the short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) program agreed with the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation [DRDO]. You have to keep in mind this cooperation is just part of a much larger scheme involving radars [and] command-and-control [systems] which are 100 percent Indian, so the decision is not just on the missile, but the whole system. We have offered a significant amount of tech transfer for long-term cooperation on short-range air defense with DRDO.

 

ASRAAM photo MBDA

ASRAAM photo MBDA

We have other opportunities in India, including the Air Force’s down-selection of ASRAAM for their Jaguar strike aircraft. Those negotiations are continuing. Overall, MBDA, supported by our governments, is prepared to enter into large-scale, very ambitious, long-term technical cooperation with Indian partners. Foreign ownership limitations are certainly restricting the type of technology transfer that we could implement for this type of joint venture, but we think in the medium term, this will evolve into a more open scheme.

 

Q. What sort of company will MBDA look like in five years?

 

A. I want MBDA to be an even more global player with an extended product range and greater market coverage. We are looking for a strong position in India, as well as more partners and cooperations elsewhere outside Europe. It is also about strengthening our position inside Europe, starting with Spain. Poland also is very important.

 

In terms of integration of the company, we want to move further along the lines we are implementing on the Anglo-French defense treaty.

 

Q. What do you want your legacy to be when you leave MBDA?

 

A. Leaving MBDA is not on my agenda today, but when I do, it would be to depart having reinforced the company’s position as a global player and an industrial leader in Europe. ■

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16 février 2013 6 16 /02 /février /2013 08:35

Rafale point-de-situation-du-15-janvier-2012-1

 

NEW DELHI, Feb. 15 (UPI)

 

French President Francois Hollande has met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a special look at defense relations on the agenda.

 

Underscoring the importance of the visit, Hollande was accompanied by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian along with the chief executive officers of more than 60 leading French firms.

 

A French official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the trip was aimed at building on the "strategic Indo-French partnership launched 15 years ago."

 

Hollande said that, after his meeting with Singh, he was certain that India was carefully considering all options for major defense purchases.

 

Hollande added that the Indian government was committed to considering all foreign applications for big-ticket items in the India's Ministry of Defense pipeline and that an element of his visit was to highlight French companies interested in the Indian market.

 

Singh averred, "The discussion on the (contract) is progressing well," Singh said, adding that "some progress has been achieved."

 

The majority of India's international contracts are in the defense sector, which has been dogged by allegations of bribery and corruption. In addressing corruption allegations in a civil nuclear contract for France's bid for participating in the construction of India's Jaitapur nuclear power plant, Hollande promised that France's transactions with India would be fully transparent.

 

In visiting the South Asian economic powerhouse, Hollande is making his first visit to an emerging economy, with diplomatic sources emphasizing that Paris chose India over Brazil, the Russia Federation and South Africa.

 

Singh and Hollande stated that their mutual interest was cooperation in high technology programs, including bilateral research and development and transfer of technology, one of India's highest priorities.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/S3L9aNAaLRI/AAAAAAAAJWI/yvWypHCNJEo/s1600/DSC01755.jpg

 

Hollande noted that joint venture projects already online included the Indian navy's indigenously built Scorpene submarine and the upgrading of the Indian air force's French-built Mirage 2000 with negotiations progressing. He also said discussions continue to finalize the joint French-Indian Short Range Surface to Air Missile air defense project.

 

Hollande's top defense priority is to secure the Indian air force purchase of 126 Rafale fighters from French arms manufacturer Dassault, a potential deal worth $12 billion. India chose the firm in 2012 but says that the contract won't be signed until midyear.

 

Franco-Indian trade levels remain modest, in 2012 worth $10 billion and France imports more than it sells to India.

 

Singh and Hollande, besides noting the progress on bilateral cooperation on the Scorpene submarine, Mirage 2000 and SRSAM joint ventures, reiterated their ongoing interest in negotiations on the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program.

 

New Delhi diplomatic sources speaking not for attribution said that given France's inside track in New Delhi, Rafael's closest competitor, the four-nation Eurofighter consortium, had essentially abandoned its bid for India's new fighter tender, as had Germany, previously the leading country for the Indian air force combat fighter contract.

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15 février 2013 5 15 /02 /février /2013 08:57

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/S3L9aNAaLRI/AAAAAAAAJWI/yvWypHCNJEo/s1600/DSC01755.jpg

 

February 15, 2013 by Shiv Aroor - Livefist

 

 

In the works for years, negotiations have been successfully concluded by India and France to develop and produce their proposed short-range surface to air missile (SR-SAM), designated 'Maitri'. This was revealed by the Indian Prime Minister yesterday after he met with visiting French President Hollande.

More information on the SR-SAM programme from earlier posts:

The partnership began in 2007 as part of the umbrella government-to-government agreement between India and France on missiles.

The ownership of the Maitri programme will be fully Indian. With baseline technologies from the now defunct Trishul SAM programme, the Maitri programme basically envisages the sale of certain key technologies by MBDA to DRDO (seeker, endgame avionics, thrust vector control, propulsion modifications), though production will not be under a corporate joint venture on the lines of BrahMos, but would rather be carried out entirely by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), India's state-owned munitions production agency.

The Maitri is being built in two basic variants -- a ship-borne point defence and tactical air defence version for the Navy and a land-based self-propelled (wheeled and tracked) launcher-based system for the Air Force and Army.

Previously on Livefist:
Schematics of the SR-SAM weapon system
MBDA To Race Indo-French SR-SAM In 2 Indian Competitions

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14 janvier 2012 6 14 /01 /janvier /2012 17:50
India Casts Wider Net for Short-Range Missiles

photo Livefist

13 Jan 2012 By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI Defensenews

NEW DELHI - The Indian Army has entered the global market to buy short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) systems for $1.5 billion, a move that could further undercut a four-year effort to develop a system with MBDA of France.

The Army convinced the Indian Defence Ministry there is an urgent requirement for SRSAM, said Army sources, and did not want to wait for the Maitri project conceived four years ago. India and France have not been able to agree on details of the Maitri project, including funding arrangements, the source added.

The Army last month sent global tenders to defense companies in Europe, the United States and Russia including Raytheon of the U.S., Israel's Rafael, MBDA and Thales of France, Diehl Defence of Germany, KBP Tula and Rosoboronexport of Russia, Ukraineexport of Ukraine and LIG NEX1 of South Korea.

The requirements of the SRSAM are similar to those of the proposed Indo-French Maitri project, the Army source said.

The current tender is for two regiments (36 systems, 1,000 missiles) estimated to cost about $800 million each. The total Indian Army requirement is likely to be about eight regiments in the next five to seven years.

The Maitri project was proposed to be jointly developed by India's Defence Research and Development Laboratory and MBDA.

The selected vendor will have to transfer technology of the systems, as well.

The supply will be made in two batches and completed within five years of the signing of the tender, including the launchers, sensors, vehicles for transportation and the missiles. The system must have a service life of at least 20 years and the missiles of not less than eight years.

The SRSAM system should be able to engage multiple targets, including those flying up to 500 meters per second, and have a maximum range of not less than 15 kilometers.

In 2009, India bought two regiments of Spyder quick-reaction surface-to-air missile systems from Rafael. Another Indo-Israeli joint project is the $2.5 billion long-range surface-to-air missile project signed in 2009 and expected to be inducted in 2013, Indian Defence Ministry sources said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army has begun inducting the homemade medium-range Akash, which has a range of up to 30 kilometers. In 2011, the Indian Army ordered the induction of two Akash regiments at a cost of about $3 billion.

The Army also has been negotiating the purchase of David Sling and Iron Dome missile interceptor systems.

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20 octobre 2011 4 20 /10 /octobre /2011 17:40

http://meaindia.nic.in/images/MEA-logo.gif

 

October 20, 2011MEA

 

Joint Statement by Foreign Ministers of India and France on Progress in “India-France: Partnership for the Future”

The External Affairs Minister of the Republic of India, Shri S.M. Krishna and the Senior Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the French Republic Mr. Alain Juppé met in New Delhi on 20 October 2011 and reviewed the progress on the implementation of the Joint Declaration on bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest and importance “India-France: Partnership for the Future” adopted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Nicolas Sarkozy on December 6, 2010.

Reaffirming that the India-France Strategic Partnership has been steadily strengthening and widening in scope, they agreed on a roadmap for its further development.

Bilateral

Trade and Economic Cooperation


The two Ministers recalled the target set in December 2010 of increasing bilateral trade to 12 billion by 2012 and reiterated their commitment to achieving it. They also welcomed the increase in foreign direct investment flows in both directions and agreed to address the genuine concerns of investors.

India and France have identified energy efficiency, renewable energy, preservation of biodiversity, urban services and infrastructure as promising fields of cooperation. To that end, Agence Française de Développement financing could be of relevance.

Space co-operation
 

Minister Krishna and Minister Juppé welcomed the successful launch of Megha-Tropiques satellite, a joint contribution to the global scientific community engaged in research on climate and weather systems. The forthcoming launch of SARAL, a joint satellite to study sea surface altitude would be another milestone in space cooperation. India and France encouraged Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French National Space Agency (CNES) to pursue further cooperation in Earth System Science and Climate within the framework of the MoU signed in December 2010 and to explore new fields of cooperation in the future.

Defence Cooperation

India and France reaffirmed their continued interest in enhancing bilateral cooperation in Defence. They welcomed the success of the first joint exercise between the two Armies (Shakti, ongoing in October 2011), as also the exercises between their Navies (Varuna in January 2011) and Air Forces (Garuda in 2010).

The two countries welcomed the finalisation of the project for modernisation of Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 aircraft and noted ongoing efforts to finalise joint defence research and development programmes, namely the SRSAM and Kaveri programmes. They reiterated their desire to cooperate in other high technology programmes and projects in the defence sector in the future.
 

Both countries reaffirmed their interest in intensifying their cooperation in combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia and other areas.

Civil Nuclear Cooperation

India and France agreed to an early entry into force of the agreement on intellectual property rights on the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. They recognized the importance of the highest levels of safety for nuclear power plants. They agreed to strengthen the cooperation between the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of India and the Autorité de Sureté Nucléaire of France, and their technical support organizations. They welcomed the progress in the discussions between AREVA and NPCIL, aiming at finalizing the contract on the construction of two EPR reactors at Jaitapur and look forward to its early implementation. Following India’s enactment of civil nuclear liability legislation, both countries stand ready to further exchange views on this issue so as to ensure the appropriate framework for the sound development of their cooperation. They look forward to the conclusion of an agreement between ALSTOM, NPCIL and BHEL for supplying the Indian nuclear power program with the most recent technology for manufacturing turbo-generators

Education, Science & Technology
 

The two Ministers agreed that both Governments will work together to encourage an increase in the flow of students and researchers in both directions. India and France will increase the number and academic level of exchange students. They share a long term ambition for bilateral cooperation at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Rajasthan. France will finance scholarships for Indian students at the PhD level, depute professors to IIT Rajasthan and substantially contribute to the establishment of Joint Centres of Excellence/ research laboratories in the next five years. India welcomes this bilateral cooperation project in the higher education sector.

Culture

The two Ministers applauded the success of the cultural festivals Bonjour India and Namaste France. They committed to bolstering exchanges in the fields of culture and heritage. They took note of the success of the International seminar on “Traditions of cultural liberalism in India & France” organized in Paris in June 2011. They welcomed the future opening of an Indian cultural centre in Paris and looked forward to the upcoming Tagore exhibition in Paris.

Migration and consular issues
 

India and France welcomed the recent negotiations for a Human Resource Mobility Partnership Agreement where progress was made on the essential aspects. They underlined the positive impact that this agreement will have on a global approach to comprehensive migration, based on the intensification of business opportunities, exchanges of students, researchers and young professionals and better tackling of irregular migration. They agreed to continue this discussion and resolved to conclude the Agreement as early as possible. They also agreed to reinforce the dialogue on consular issues.

Regional and global challenges

Afghanistan


India and France reaffirmed their solidarity with Afghanistan. They welcomed the will of the international community to remain committed after the 2014 transition, through bilateral and multilateral fora. Looking ahead to the Istanbul Conference of November 2, they welcomed the commitment of the region to work for a stable, peaceful, democratic and independent Afghanistan, achieved through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. They called for the continued engagement of the international community and increased cooperation in the region to work towards a terror-free Afghanistan. This would be in the interest of Afghanistan, the region and the international community at large.

Libya

The two countries support the efforts of the National Transition Council representing the Libyan people as a whole, to establish democratic institutions in a free Libya, to promote human rights, and to rebuild their country after the sufferings they have endured.
 

Middle East

Minister Krishna and Minister Juppé exchanged views on issues related to the Middle East including the peace process and the situation in Syria and agreed to continue the dialogue at all levels.

EU

Minister Krishna and Minister Juppé reiterated their willingness to participate in the strengthening of the relationship between the European Union and India. They called for a successful India-EU summit in February 2012. They agreed that India and the EU should continue to work for the early conclusion of the negotiations for a mutually beneficial and balanced Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), which will lead to substantial increase in bilateral trade and investment flows

Terrorism

India and France have endeavoured to jointly fight international terrorism, a common threat. They reiterated their view that terrorism cannot be justified on any grounds or attributed to any root causes. They noted that the bilateral Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism had met in Paris in June 2011. The two sides agreed to further expand information exchange and enhance counterterrorism cooperation in areas of mutual concern. They resolved to continue their efforts for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the UN.

G20
 

The two Ministers reaffirmed the role of the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. India fully supports the priorities put on the G20 agenda by the French presidency. India and France reiterated their commitment to working together in the G20, especially on global issues notably, addressing the Financial crisis, development including infrastructure and food security, social dimension, fight against corruption, innovative financing, commodity price volatility, reform of the international financial institutions and financial regulatory reforms. They are committed to make the G20 Summit in Cannes a success, and support the adoption of an ambitious action plan for growth.

UN Reform

France reaffirmed its support for India’s accession as a permanent member of an enlarged UN Security Council. India and France are committed to reinforce their consultations at the UN on issues pertaining to international peace and stability.

Non proliferation

The two countries will intensify their cooperation on non-proliferation challenges, and will continue to work towards India’s full membership to the four export control regimes.

Climate Change

The two Ministers stressed their resolve to address the challenges posed by Climate Change, firmly based on the principles and provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in particular the principle of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities. They reaffirmed their commitment to work together for an equitable, balanced and comprehensive outcome to the upcoming 17th Conference of Parties at Durban, South Africa.

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