India & France hold Air Staff talks, discuss enhancing cooperation

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) India and France held the 22nd edition of Air Staff Talks in New Delhi, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation through joint training, and sharing of best practices, the Indian Air Force (IAF) announced on Thursday.

The talks were held between the Indian Air Force and the French Air and Space Force (FASF) in the National Capital from September 26 to October 1.

Sharing details regarding the meeting on social media platform X, the IAF stated, "The 22nd edition of Air Staff Talks between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force (FASF) was conducted in New Delhi from 29 September to 01 October 2025."

"Deliberations centred on enhancing bilateral cooperation through Joint Training, combined exercises, exchange of ideas, Professional Military Education, and sharing of best practices. The meeting was co-chaired by Air Vice Marshal SK Taliyan and Brigadier General Nicolas Chambaz," it added.

Earlier, on September 11, India and France held the 17th Meeting of the India-France Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism in Paris.

The two sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

For the meeting, the Indian delegation was led by K.D. Dewal, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism), MEA, and the French side was headed by Olivier Caron, French Counter-Terrorism Ambassador.

The officials of two nations condemned the dastardly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.

During the meeting, the two delegations exchanged views on the current threat assessments in their respective countries.

Discussions included State-sponsored cross-border terrorism, terrorist activities in South Asia and the Middle East, and the increasing misuse of emerging technologies by terror groups.

The two sides also focused on challenges posed by radicalisation and extremism, especially online.

The dialogue highlighted the need for joint efforts to counter terrorist propaganda and online recruitment, an issue of growing concern globally.

France and India also expressed interest in enhancing coordination at international platforms such as the United Nations, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and No Money for Terror (NMFT) initiative.

In addition, the two countries explored expanding the scope of their counter-terrorism dialogue to include organised crime, cybersecurity threats, and the exchange of information on online propaganda.

"The discussion on bilateral and multilateral cooperation focused on intensifying capacity-building measures through training and exercises. The two sides discussed cooperation in the UN, FATF and NMFT," the MEA.

--IANS

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