New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) With an aim to explore new avenues of cooperation and enhance the strategic partnership, Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi has departed on an official visit to France from February 24 to 27, an official statement said on Sunday.
Gen Dwivedi will engage with senior French military leadership at Les Invalides, Paris. The day will begin with a Guard of Honour followed by discussions with his French counterpart, CEMAT (Chef d’Etat-Major de l’Armee de Terre) General Pierre Schill to foster stronger military ties between the two nations.
The Indian Army chief’s itinerary also includes a visit to the Ecole Militaire, the prestigious Military School and Institution Complex in Paris, where he will be briefed on Future Combat Command (CCF).
Additionally, General Dwivedi will be briefed at the Technical Section of the French Army (STAT) and visit the Battle Lab Terre at Versailles.
On the next day of his visit on Tuesday, he will travel to Marseille, where he will visit the 3rd Division of the French Army and will be briefed on its mission and role, the bilateral exercise SHAKTI, the India-France training cooperation, and the French Army modernisation programme (Scorpion).
On February 26, General Dwivedi will visit Carpiagne to witness a dynamic demonstration of the Scorpion Division with live firing exercises.
On the next day, the COAS will visit the Neuve Chapelle Indian War Memorial to lay a wreath in honour of the fallen Indian soldiers who participated in World War I. Later in the day, he will deliver a talk at the Ecole de Guerre, the French Joint Staff College, highlighting the evolving nature of modern warfare and India’s strategic vision.
General Dwivedi’s visit aims to strengthen the military collaboration between India and France, a visit that comes close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France where he co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris.
–IANS
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