India, France agree on road map for blue economy, governance

New Delhi, February 21

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India and France on Sunday resolved to intensify ties in the maritime domain by adopting a joint road map on the “Blue Economy and Ocean Governance” on the first day of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Paris following talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The French presidency of the EU in the first half of 2022 is also expected to give further shape to EU’s engagement with India in the Indo-Pacific region, including in security, connectivity and economic development.

With territories retained since Colonial time in the Indo-Pacific, France is a major player and has been seeking to step up its activities bilaterally with regional maritime powers as well as through the EU. The road map “aims to enhance partnership in the field of blue economy by way of institutional, economic, infrastructural and scientific cooperation,” said an MEA news release.