French Foreign Minister Discusses Development and Cooperation Issues with His Counterparts in the UAE and India

Paris, September 23 (KUNA) -- French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot held talks with his UAE counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on a number of issues related to development and joint cooperation. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday that the meeting, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, was conducted to activate the trilateral coordination launched in February 2023 with France’s “strategic partners.” The statement added that trilateral cooperation with the UAE and India reflects France’s desire to rely on reliable and stable partners to enhance its strategic autonomy. It clarified that the ministers agreed to implement concrete trilateral projects in four priority areas: culture, environment, artificial intelligence, and space. The ministers also discussed developments in the Middle East crisis, particularly the situation at the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab, and agreed on the necessity of coordination and joint action to restore freedom of navigation in the region. (End) m.b./a.m.s.