Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting France on February 10-11, a trip during which he is expected to finalise with President Emmanuel Macron a key understanding on nuclear power to have a partnership on small and advanced modular reactors.
The PM will co-chair an artificial intelligence (AI) summit in Paris on February 10 and join a dinner hosted by Macron for the heads of state and government attending the event. He will, along with Macron, also visit Kadash, the site of an international thermal nuclear experimental reactor, said officials.
India has already announced setting up of the Nuclear Energy Mission for research and development of small modular reactors (SMR) with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore. At least five indigenously developed SMRs would be operationalised by 2033, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said during her Budget speech in Parliament on February 1.
India and France are also likely to unveil a bilateral roadmap on AI. The AI summit will also witness the presence of US Vice-President JD Vance and Chinese Vice-Prime Minister Ding Xuexiang along with other key stakeholders.
Cooperation in defense and space would be on agenda when Modi and Macron hold a bilateral meeting, said sources. India is also looking to acquire naval fighter jets Rafale M, additional three Kalvari-class submarines and a tie-up for making a next generation engine for fighter jets. On the France visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi and Macron would also visit the war cemetery at Marseille to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers in World War 1.
Macron would also host a dinner in honor of PM Modi, said officials. The two leaders will jointly inaugurate the newest Consulate General of India in Marseille.
From France, the PM will head to the US on a two-day visit from February 12 to 13 where he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump, the duo’s first bilateral after the change of guard in the White House.