Bonjour India-Festival of France to be held during Dec-Feb

With a view to celebrating the growing Indo-French ties, the French embassy, in association with Culturesfrance and the government of India will host a series of events across 18 cities in the country, between December this year and February 2010.

This is part of the "impetus" given by the heads of the two countries during French president Nicholas Sarkozy's visit to India last year, to strengthen bilateral relations, French ambassador to India, Jerome Bonnafont, told reporters.

Titled Bonjour India-Festival of France, the initiative includes a series of exhibitions, concerts and literary meetings, film festivals, debates and economic and scientific exchanges in cities including Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad, he said.

The envoy recalled the growing ties between the two countries in areas such as security cooperation and nuclear energy, besides economic relations.

Highlights in Chennai would include Bonjour French Science, where 30 scientists from France's public and private sectors would deliver talks on issues ranging from laser and plasma to aerospace and aeronautics and "encourage" bilateral dialogue on subjects of global importance, an official press release said.

"We have to find some innovative mechanism to make that possible. When it comes to emerging countries, among which India is, there is the question of balancing economic growth and fight against CO2 emissions," Bonnafont said.

There were technical possibilities to "make the fight against climate change compatible with a very high rate of growth," he said.

Recalling the two countries' cooperation in the field of security and others including nuclear energy, he said the bilateral relations were based on values and common interests.

The two countries had realised the need to utilise the opportunities offered by globalisation to "accelerate our developments," he said.

The relationship was important at a time of "threat to our security, global economic crisis, and fight against climate change."

Both, prime minister Manmohan Singh and French president Nicholas Sarkozy believe that there is something to be done by France and India together to accelerate India's development and recognition of its place as a global actor and to show that India and Europe are willing to build an indestructible link.

Tradewise, French companies preferred setting business in the four southern states, due to the "friendly environment" for their activities, he said.