Mumbai, Feb. 17 -- France and India upgraded their bilateral relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership" on Tuesday, with French President Emmanuel Macron declaring the two nations shared a bond of "trust, openness, and ambition" that set it apart from conventional diplomatic alignments.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the delegation-level talks in Mumbai. Macron's fourth official visit to India witnessed a significant elevation of ties that have deepened steadily over nearly a decade, and include the setting up of a secretariat for the ambititious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation in artificial intelligence, and clean energy.
"We have also...