French Armed Forces Minister visits INS Shikra in Mumbai

Mumbai/New Delhi, Oct 28: Armed Forces Minister of France Florence Parly on Saturday visited Indian Naval Ship Shikra in Colaba of Western Naval Command. In a tweet, spokesperson of Indian Navy said, “French Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly is being received at INS Shikra Colaba Mumbai. The minister is scheduled to visit HQ WNC and Mazagon Docks during her short stay at Mumbai.” The minister was on a two-day visit to India, starting yesterday and will conclude her trip in Mumbai, with visits at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) and the Western Naval Command. At MDL shipyard, she will visit the yard where Scorpene submarines are being made with transfer of technology under the P75 project by MDL, country’s leading public sector shipbuilders, in collaboration with French shipbuilding major, Naval Group (formerly DCNS), an official sources said. She will also board the INS Kalvari, the first of these six Scorpene submarines to have been delivered to the Indian Navy, an eloquent symbol of the close Indo-French strategic partnership. At the Western Naval Command (WNC), the minister will be received by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, WNC, for discussions on Indo-French defence and security cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. One of the most dynamic aspects of the Indo-French strategic partnership, this will be a key issue of President Emmanuel Macron’s State visit, which he is scheduled to visit in December this year. Ms Parly would also be given a brief tour of WNC and view the stealth guided missile destroyer, INS Kochi. UNI