Indian, French, UAE Foreign Ministers Talk Over Phone, Adopt Plan of Trilateral Initiative
© AP Photo / Maxim ShipenkovIndian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following their talks in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
![Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following their talks in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following their talks in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. - Sputnik India, 1920, 04.02.2023](https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.in/img/07e6/0c/0c/38845_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_ff9a26c8eca18a5acb47e81d18fd93bb.jpg)
© AP Photo / Maxim Shipenkov
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Foreign ministers of India, France and the United Arab Emirates held a phone call on Saturday to flesh out a trilateral cooperation initiative, an ambitious plan designed to foster collaboration between the three countries in various spheres, the foreign ministries said in a joint statement.
In September 2022, the three foreign ministers first discussed the initiative when they met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
"The Foreign Ministers of India, France and the UAE agreed to establish a formal trilateral cooperation initiative, with the aim of expanding cooperation in various fields of mutual interest. It is in this context that a phone call between the three Ministers was held today to adopt a roadmap for the implementation of this initiative," the statement read.
The sides agreed that the initiative would "serve as a forum to promote the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy," focusing on solar and nuclear power, fighting against climate change and protecting biodiversity, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.
Sustainable development represents another venue for trilateral cooperation. In this respect, India, France and the UAE agreed to "seek to ensure greater alignment of their respective economic, technological, and social policies with the objectives of the Paris Agreement."
"In support of these endeavours, a range of trilateral events will be organized in the framework of the Indian Presidency of the G20 and the UAE's hosting of COP-28 in 2023, respectively," the statement read.
Defense cooperation — including work on compatibility, joint development, co-production and training — along with technological innovation, cultural ties and pandemic prevention efforts were also discussed.