Marseille [France], June 14 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, Italian legal professional Francesco Parisi and Head of the Foreign Relations team Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) Abigal Vasselier at Raisina Mediterranean 2025 dialogue.

Jaishankar conveyed India's interest in the Mediterranean region.

In a post on X, he said, 'Joined FM Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, Francesco Parisi and Abigal Vasselier at Raisina Mediterranean 2025. Spoke about India's strong interest in the Mediterranean region and the importance of partnerships driven by trade and people to people ties.'

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1933624652795990081

Jaishankar said on Friday that Europe is now more self-aware, strategically autonomous and thinks about global issues from European perspective rather than a collective and all this has policy implications, and noted that France is in many ways is India's most trusted partner in Europe.

Speaking at the Raisina Mediterranean 2025 conference, Jaishankar said that India and France have had a willingness to 'stratagise for ourselves'.

He laid emphasis on the value of trust and pointed to the need of resilient and reliable supply chains.

'I totally agree that one of the things which have gone with the world is a kind of cost determinism by which choices have been made. The result of the cost determinism is that we have ended up with an over concentration of capabilities in one geography which is creating problems for everybody else...it is not just price points and economic efficiencies. Particularly in the digital era...I think there are many other sensitivities, embedded in products and services. Which makes a concept like trust very important. Trust means intuitively we are comfortable with each other. How do you get that? Sometimes by having similar values, sometimes by saying that in my difficulty you supported or who was willing to go the extra mile for our security needs,' he said.

India and France have completed 25 years of strategic partnership. The bilateral relations with France are rooted in deep trust and commitment, and the two countries cooperate closely across all domains of strategic and contemporary relevance besides sharing similar outlook on many regional and global issues. (ANI)