New Delhi, June 1: Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday commenced his three-day official visit to France, which is part of his ongoing visit to France and Italy from June 1 to 5.

"The visit reflects India's continued commitment to deepening strategic and economic ties with key European partners and advancing a shared vision for resilient and inclusive global growth," said the commerce ministry in a statement.

During his engagements in France, Goyal is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with French Ministers, including Eric Lombard, Minister of Economy, and Laurent Saint-Martin, French Trade Minister.

The discussions will focus on strengthening the Indo-French economic partnership and exploring new avenues for enhancing trade and investment cooperation.

As part of the high-level visit to France, a comprehensive agenda of strategic business meetings and engagements has been scheduled - with top leadership of major French companies such as Vicat, Total Energies, L'Oreal, Renault, Valeo, EDF and ATR, the visit will feature the India-France Business Round Table and the India-France CEO Forum, fostering dialogue between leading industry stakeholders from both countries.

During his stay, the Minister will also participate in the informal gathering of WTO Ministers on the margins of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting.

At this crucial forum, he will engage with global counterparts on key multilateral trade issues and articulate the perspectives and priorities of India.

As part of the visit, the Minister will hold a series of high-level bilateral meetings with key international partners.

These include the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds; Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong; and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Commerce, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kasabi.

The Minister will also engage with Israel's Minister for Trade and Investment, Nir Barkat; Nigeria's Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole OON; and Brazil's Foreign Minister, Mauro Luis Iecker Vieira.

"These dialogues are aimed at advancing strategic economic cooperation and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships across regions. They will also provide significant impetus to India-EU FTA negotiations," the commerce ministry said.

Further reinforcing India's engagement with regional blocs, meetings are planned with key EU officials, including Maros Sefcovic, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, and Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food.

"These engagements reflect India's ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral and multilateral partnerships, and position itself as a pivotal player in global trade and investment," the ministry said.

Following his engagements in France, Minister Goyal will proceed to Italy for the next leg of his visit.

(ANI)

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