India Proceeds with Its Active Western European and Multilateral Diplomacy, Based on Strategic Sovereignty

The new foreign tour of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-June 2026 to France and Slovakia, as well as his participation in the G7 summit in Évian, confirmed New Delhi’s growing role in world affairs while successfully pursuing a foreign policy course aimed at strategic autonomy.

The parties pinpointed the growth of mutual trade turnover (currently around $10 billion) and of French investment in the Indian economy ($12 billion). It was also noted that more than 1,000 French enterprises and companies are successfully operating in India, including in the aerospace, defence, nuclear, pharmaceutical and other key areas.

Particular attention during the negotiations was paid to increasing cooperation on matters of economic security in order to ensure more robust supply chains for critical mineral resources and technologies, as well as to joining forces in combating terrorism.

The principal outcome of the visit was the leaders’ agreement to elevate relations to a “special global strategic partnership.” The parties announced the launch of a “Roadmap for Innovation until 2030,” aimed at expanding cooperation in strategic and technology sectors, in the fields of innovation and the development of highly skilled human resources. Furthermore, they mapped out plans to boost interaction in the educational sphere. Paris confirmed its willingness to accept up to 30,000 Indian students into its higher education institutions by 2030. Finally, they agreed to develop cooperation in aviation, space and healthcare. The parties plan to create in the city of Kanpur a training centre for Indian pilots of French fighter aircraft supplied to the country, and to intensify joint research in medicine and the active application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Overall, the new arrangements will facilitate the further development of multifaceted bilateral ties. France is the second country in the European Union, after Germany, with which India has the most advanced relations and cooperation in a wide range of areas.

Slovakia: A Breakthrough Visit

In this regard, Slovakia occupies a rather modest place in India’s priorities, and the head of the Indian government had not previously visited this Central European country since it gained independence in 1993. All the more symbolic, therefore, was Narendra Modi’s first trip to Bratislava on 15 June of this year. His negotiations with Prime Minister R. Fico and the holding of an........

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