Indian Rafale jets taking part in Bastille Day flypast will send message that India-France ties are strong, close: Envoy Jawed Ashraf

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indian Rafale jets taking part in the Bastille Day flypast over the Champs Elysees, Paris, will send a message across the world that India-France ties are very strong and close, said Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf on Wednesday.

In an interaction with ANI, Ashraf said that the flypast and marching by the IAF air warriors on Bastille Day follow a long association that the two nations share, especially in the field of air power.

The Indian envoy also termed Rafale being part of the Bastille Day flypast as “very important.”

“Any ship could have come from India. We have many ships. What is important is that both our soldiers have a lot of inter-operability, a lot of trust and in this way, this Bastille Day parade sends a message to the whole world that the partnership between India and France is very close,” he told ANI.

Ashraf also underlined that the India-France partnership is about the power of values. “The military relations that we have are to protect our values, without claiming or suppressing anyone else. We call it Prime Minister’s partnership of values,” he added.

When asked about the procurement of 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France, the envoy declined to comment, saying there is “a due process and approval procedure” in such deals.

Notably, Indian Rafale jets that will take part in the Bastille Day flypast over the Champs Elysees, Paris, reached France a couple of days back.

Taking to Twitter, France’s ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain said, “A warm welcome to France for the Indian Rafale jets that will soar in the skies of Paris on Friday for #BastilleDay!”

The French traditional military parade is held in Paris during Bastille Day on July 14. PM Modi’s visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the “strategic partnership” between France and India.

At the invitation of France President Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi will be the Guest of Honour on France’s National Day on July 14.

Also, in a major development, the Defence Ministry has given an initial nod to the plans to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France.

The proposals were approved by the Defence Procurement Board of the Defence Ministry and will now be taken up by the Defence Acquisition Council for discussion most likely on July 13, government sources told ANI.

The deals, once accorded Acceptance of Necessity by the DAC, are likely to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France this week, the sources said.

As per the proposals, the Indian Navy will get 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft along with four trainer aircraft.

The Navy has been pressing for acquiring these fighter aircraft and submarines urgently as they have been facing shortages in view of the security challenges around the country.

The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant have been operating the MiG-29s and need the Rafales for operations on both carriers.

Meanwhile, the three Scorpene class submarines would be acquired under the repeat clause by the Navy as part of Project 75 where they would be built in the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai.

The deals are estimated to be worth over Rs 90,000 crore but the final cost would be clear only after the contract negotiations are completed which will be held after the deal is announced.

India is likely to seek price concessions in the deal and would be insisting on having more ‘Make-in-India’ content in the plan, sources said.

Indian envoy Ashraf also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending Bastille Day celebrations in France is a sign that the India-France strategic partnership is very close, strong and its role will increase in time to come.

PM Modi will be the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade of France on July 14, where the tri-services of the Indian armed forces contingent would be participating.

French National Day, or Bastille Day, occupies a special place in French consciousness. This day commemorates the Storming of the Bastille Prison in 1789 during the French Revolution. The Bastille Day Parade is the highlight of the Bastille Day Celebrations.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for his France, UAE visit on Thursday.

The Prime Minister will first visit France from July 13-14 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. (ANI)