Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to embark on a 4-Day visit to Italy, France

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a four-day visit to Italy and France beginning today to expand bilateral strategic engagement and explore industrial cooperation for joint development of military hardware.

In the first leg of his two-nation tour, Mr Singh will travel to Rome where he will hold wide-ranging talks with his Italian counterpart Guido Crisetto, according to the defence ministry. The relationship between India and Italy was elevated to the level of strategic partnership in March during the Italian prime minister's visit to India.

"Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Italy and France from October 9 to 12, " the ministry said.

In Paris, Mr Singh will attend the fifth annual India-France defence dialogue with his French counterpart Sebastian Lecornu.

“India and France recently celebrated 25 years of strategic partnership. Both countries enjoy a deep and wide-ranging bilateral defence relationship, including significant industrial cooperation,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

Officials said the potential for joint development of military platforms will be part of Mr Singh’s discussions both in Rome and Paris.

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