3 min readNew DelhiApr 14, 2026 07:05 AM IST
With the US preparing to blockade ships going to or from Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot discussed the ways and means of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait.
This happened on a day External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and they also discussed the “regional situation”.
Misri, who is in Paris for a bilateral visit, met the French Foreign minister and they “emphasised the importance of abiding by the ceasefire agreement reached by Iran and the United States, and of finding a swift and lasting end to the war through diplomatic means. They also discussed the ways and means of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the French Foreign ministry said, in a statement.
The MEA said that India France Foreign Office Consultations were held Monday in Paris, co-chaired by Misri and Secretary-General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Martin Briens. He also met Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of France.
The MEA statement said that “both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made in various facets of the bilateral relationship, especially in context of the elevation of ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership and the visit of President Macron to India in February 2026.”
It also said that the two sides also reviewed key deliverables including the India-France Year of Innovation, cooperation on economic security, the shared ambition of increasing the crossflow of STEM talent, including more Indian students in France, and the goal of doubling bilateral trade, especially in light of the conclusion of negotiations of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
“The discussions encompassed strategic areas of bilateral cooperation including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital, AI, institutional dialogue mechanisms, and initiatives fostering people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties. The two sides also exchanged views on global issues such as cooperation in environment, climate change and health, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, trilateral dialogues, joint development projects in third countries, as well as developments in West Asia and Ukraine,” it said.
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Misri and Briens agreed to meet again for the Strategic Space Dialogue, scheduled to be held later this year. The French readout said that as “India is working closely with the French G7 Presidency, they discussed the responses that our two countries could develop to tackle major macroeconomic imbalances and promote a more inclusive form of multilateralism”.
In Delhi, Jaishankar spoke to Foreign ministers of Kuwait and Singapore, and both discussions touched upon the situation in West Asia.
After his conversation with his counterpart from Kuwait, Jaishankar said, “A good conversation with FM Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait. It focused on the regional situation and the well being of the Indian community.”
Kuwait’s foreign ministry issued a statement noting that the exchange between the leaders revolved around the “latest developments in regional events and the efforts being made regarding them”.
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After talking to Singapore’s Foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, Jaishankar said, “Always nice to speak to FM @VivianBala of Singapore. Our discussions were about the conflict in West Asia and its implications.”
