India and France held the 8th India-France Maritime Cooperation Dialogue in Paris on May 20, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening maritime security cooperation and enhancing coordination in the Indo-Pacific region.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Pavan Kapoor, Deputy National Security Advisor of India’s National Security Council Secretariat, along with Guillaume Ollagnier, Director General for International Relations and Strategy at the French Ministry for the Armed Forces, and Claire Raulin, Director for Strategic Affairs, Security and Disarmament at Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the discussions focussed on their shared commitment to strengthening operational cooperation for countering illicit maritime activities, including piracy and armed robbery, maritime terrorism, drug trafficking; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, as well as other hybrid threats.
India and France committed to reinforce their coordination in maritime security domain. Both sides exchanged views on the situation in West Asia/Middle-East and the Indian Ocean.
The MEA said that the discussions reflected strong strategic convergence and a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, based on mutual commitment to international law, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of navigation.
The engagement also provided an opportunity to follow-up on the decisions emerging from the meeting between leaders of both countries in February 2026 and review the outcomes of the January 2026 dialogue between the respective National Security Advisors.
The MEA added that India and France agreed to consolidate and leverage their Special Global Strategic Partnership.
