'Very grateful': French envoy thanks India for shipping COVID vaccines to fight pandemic

French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain thanked India for supplying medicines to France at the time of pandemic. During the ongoing India-France bilateral exercise "Desert Knight 21", Lenain said, “During COVID-19, you (India) shipped medicines needed in French hospitals. We are very grateful for that again... Very clear statements were released by your government and Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) when our values like secularism were under attack in my country”. The air exercises are going on at Air Force Station Jodhpur, from January 20 to 24.

He also spoke about bilateral ties as he said, “India and France have been side-by-side in both good and bad times. When India decided to conduct a nuclear test in Pokhran, we were on your side as we understand your strategic autonomy”.

The joint drills, which are a part of Desert Knight 21, mark a significant milestone in the series of engagements between the two air forces.

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Desert Knight 21

As part of Indo-French defense cooperation, the Indian Air Force and the French Air and Space Force held six editions of military exercises named "Garuda" at Air Force Base Mont-de-Marsan in France. The two forces have been using opportunities to conduct "hop-exercises" in order to further the existing cooperation. India had hosted the French Air Force deployment at the air force stations in Agra and Gwalior for exercise while ferrying to Australia for Ex Pitchblack in 2018. The French forces for Ex Desert Knight-21 are deployed in Asia as part of their "Skyros Deployment" and have ferried in forces to Air Force Station Jodhpur.

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In a boost to its strike capability, the IAF received the first batch of five Rafale jets in July last year, nearly four years after the government inked an agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The second batch of three Rafale fighter jets joined the IAF in November. The Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. The newly inducted fleet has been carrying out sorties in eastern Ladakh.

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(Image Credits: AP)