French Army chief commences India visit

New Delhi: India's new-found status as an emerging world power finds resonance in the spate of high-profile visits by defence chiefs with French Army chief, general Elrick James Martial Irastorza, arriving here Monday on a three-day visit. General Irastorza will seek to ramp up defence cooperation and relations between India and France and seek to initiate joint training programmes.

Interestingly, Royal Navy chief, Sir Mark Stanhope, begins a six-day visit to India today.

In the course of his visit Irastorza will meet defence minister AK Antony and the three service chiefs. He will also visit an army formation.

'The French Army chief will finalise the schedule of joint exercises between the two armies and is also expected to hold discussion on issues of mutual interest with the Indian defence top brass,' Indian Army officers said.

India and France already have a robust joint exercise schedule between the navies and the air forces of both nations. These will be followed up with the army-to-army exercises, they said.