French Government has decided to pay tribute to Indian soldiers who were killed in France during World War-I.

The visiting French Defence Minister Yves Le Drianis had delegation level talks with the Indian Defence Minister AK Antony here on Friday and discussed regional and international security challenges of mutual interest.

Both the Ministers also exchanged views on issues relating to UN peace keeping operations and maritime security.The French Defence Minister also presented France’s new White Paper on Defence and National Security”.

They also reviewed the status of various measures for bilateral defence cooperation and the progress in various areas pursuant to their discussions in February, 2013, during the State visit of the French President to India.

Both India and France agreed that exchanges between their defence institutions and armed forces should continue to be progressed, including in the areas of military education and training and through the conduct of military exercises.

It was decided that the India Army would go to France in September 2013 for the bilateral exercise – Shakti – with the French Army.

The schedule for the bilateral naval exercise –Varuna – will be finalised soon. Varuna will be conducted off the coast of India.

Similarly, the next bilateral excersise between the Air Forces of the two countries – Garuda – will take place during the first half of 2014.

Both the Ministers had detailed discussions regarding current and future co-operation in the areas of defence equipment and technology collaboration. They agreed that such cooperation should continue to be progressed to the mutual benefit of both countries, including in high technology areas involving joint research and development and transfer of technology.

Meanwhile addressing a function at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here on Friday, the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian terming India as a “major priority” for French diplomacy. He said that both nations “are moving forward together in intense cooperation in sensitive areas, such as defence, civilian nuclear energy, space, security and counter-terrorism”.

The French Minister, who is on a visit to India to mark the 15th anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership, concluded in 1998, briefing the audience on the French white paper on ‘Defence and National Security’released last April, said that the new ‘White Paper reconciles the two imperatives of sovereignty.

“Our strategic autonomy and our financial sovereignty, at a time when the threat level has not dipped but the crisis in Europe has weakened our public finances.” France will have a new military and industrial strategy that will guarantee its strategic autonomy. “On an average, this accounts for a defence spending of 1.8% of France’s GDP till 2020, according to NATO norms, the minister added.

Responding to a query on the delay over the Rs 50,000 crore deal for supplying 126 Rafale combat aircraft to India, the French Minister said the projects of such magnitude take time to materialise. The schedule and the pace of the project is normal, said the minister expressing hope that India and France will continue to work together on many other projects as well.

Talking about future Cyber security threats, he said that the issue is an important part of the White paper and the French R&D team is being strengthened to focus on the same. He added that both India and France will continue to discuss Cyber Security within the framework of strategic relations. An India-France Cyber Security Dialogue has been launched.

Reacting to a query about the standard of combat aircrafts, India is importing from France, he said that the Rafale are State of Art aircrafts and the same holds true for other products India is importing from France.

Dwelling on the importance place that India occupies in the White paper, the minister said that the “White Paper highlights India’s economic emergence, and the privileged bilateral relation, enshrined in the strategic partnership established in 1998, which enables us to cooperate in areas that involve the major interests of the two countries.” He further added that “India appears to us as a factor of stability” and that they “support the reform of the United Nations Security Council that would make room for new permanent members, which would include India.”

Discussing further the industrial and technological cooperation between both the countries, the minister stated that it was on the right path and that “The DCNS Company is currently building six Scorpene submarines at the Mazagaon Docks shipyard (MDL) in Mumbai, with complete transfer of technology”. The first submarine will be launched in 2014 and in “the near future MDL, India will possess a performing asset for building additional submarines” he concluded.

Talking about the MMRCA project the minister said that the project is the priority and that there will be a framework India-France Intergovernmental Agreement for this contract, which will provide all the necessary guarantees of the French State. “Beyond aircraft, an unprecedented industrial and technological cooperation between our two countries is commencing”, he said, insisting that in this respect “France is prepared to initiate joint co-development and co-production projects.”

France, insisted the minister, was ready to share an increasing level of defence technology, in connection with the development of joint projects and assured India of the continuity of supplies for acquired equipment.

Elaborating further on the White Paper on Defence, the Minister said that for his country, “National sovereignty depends on the State’s autonomy of assessment, decision-making and action”, however insisting that it does not imply that his nation is cloaked in isolation or unilateralism. “We intend to cooperate with our partners and our allies for the world’s security. We respect international law. This is both a choice and a necessity. But we intend to remain in control of our decisions and our actions with regard to defence and security.”