By IRNA
New Delhi : French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner is expected in New Delhi later this week.
He will discuss bilateral, regional and international issues with Minister of External Affairs, Pranab Mukherjee, Asian Age reported here today.
It will be Kouchner’s maiden visit to India as the minister of foreign and European affairs in French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government.
Kouchner’s visit will firm up the agenda of Sarkozy’s visit to India in January 2008.
Sarkozy will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations in 2007.
France assumes the European Union (EU) presidency in the second half of 2008.
France, accordingly, will host the EU-India Summit in the second half of 2008.
France is a member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG.) French foreign minister’s visit will be one of a series of visits by French delegations to India in recent weeks.
The chiefs of the French Army and Navy recently were in India.
French Chief of Army Staff Gen. Bruno Cuche visited India from November 26 to 30 at the invitation of Chief of Army Staff Gen. Deepak Kapoor.
French Chief of Navy Staff Admiral Alain Oudot de Dainville visited India from December 8 to 12 at the invitation of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta.