French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain pays homage to Indian Armed Forces on Kargil Vijay Diwas

As India commemorated 23 years of its victory in the Kargil war on Tuesday, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain paid homage to the valiant Indian Armed Forces personnel who sacrificed their lives in the war against Pakistan in 1999. "On #KargilVijayDiwas, I join my Indian friends in paying tribute to the Indian Armed Forces. As exemplified by the Mirage 2000s and now the Rafale jets, France has always stood by India, our foremost strategic partner in Asia [sic]," Lenain, the French envoy to India, wrote on Twitter. 

Notably, the Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on July 26 every year across the country to commemorate the Indian heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation. The Kargil War ended in 1999 when the Indian troops took back control over the mountain posts that were occupied by the Pakistani forces. Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to brave hearts on the occasion of the Kargil Vijay Diwas. "Kargil Vijay Diwas is a symbol of pride and glory of Maa Bharati. On this occasion, my salute to all the brave sons of the country who have accomplished their valour in the defence of the motherland. Jai Hind!," he tweeted. 

India, France boast of solid defence & strategic alliance

Meanwhile, India's partnership with France in defence cooperation is expanding rapidly as the two nations have a solid defence and strategic alliance. Further, the two sides collaborate well in the area of defence, as evidenced by the timely delivery of the Rafale despite the pandemic. India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 to procure 36 Rafale jets at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. In February this year, France completed the entire consignment of Rafale fighter planes to India. 

India-France relations

It is worth mentioning here that India and France have long-standing ties of friendship and cooperation. The two nations established a Strategic Partnership in 1998, which, in addition to their strong and developing bilateral connection, is symbolic of their agreement on a variety of international subjects. The three main cornerstones of a partnership between two countries are cooperation in the fields of defence, space, and civil nuclear. Further, India and France are also engaged together in new areas, such as climate change, sustainable growth and development, the International Solar Alliance, etc.

Image: ANI/PTI