The India-France Track 1.5 Dialogue: Innovation, Sustainability, and Multilateral Cooperation is a three-year initiative between Gateway House, Mumbai, and the Institut français des relations internationals (Ifri), Paris, to enhance the growing relationship between India and France. Think tank experts, government officials, and business leaders will convene annually to promote bilateral economic growth and innovation.
India and France maintain strong relations built on the foundation of collective values and common goals. Economic and strategic ties between India and France are expanding, and there are new areas to explore for mutual benefit. The Track 1.5 Dialogue is a suitable format for this. Both countries prioritise sustainability, energy, and the Indo-Pacific region. The Dialogue aims to provide policy recommendations to promote innovation and navigate evolving governance issues through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
On 16 March 2022, Gateway House, Mumbai, and Ifri, Paris, co-hosted India-France Track 1.5 Dialogue: Innovation, Sustainability and Multilateral Cooperation, in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Government of France, supported by India EXIM Bank.
The focus of the first roundtable was on digital cooperation and energy transitions. The two subjects were chosen to reflect the strengths of both countries and the technical collaborations that can be effectively leveraged.
The roundtable discussion was held in hybrid format in Mumbai and Paris. Government officials, corporations, entrepreneurs and leading scholars and experts from both India and France participated in the dialogue.
The keynote addresses were delivered by Harsh V. Shringla, Foreign Secretary, Government of India, and Francois Delattre, Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Government of France. Jawed Ashraf, India’s Ambassador to France, and Emmanuel Lenain, France’s Ambassador to India, commenced the discussions with a comprehensive conversation on the bilateral.
This report has been published by Gateway House and Ifri, in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Government of France, supported by India EXIM Bank. Read the full report here.
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