India and France are expected to announce a joint strategy for maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to India from 9 March, informed sources said here on Wednesday.

Civil nuclear cooperation and defence and security-related issues will also be high on the agenda during Macron’s maiden visit, sources said.

The two countries are expected to sign a slew of agreements in various fields which were being finalised.

The highlight of Macron’s visit will be the International Solar Alliance (ISA) inauguration on 11 March. Nearly 25 leaders at the level of heads of state or government will attend the summit that will see the participation of representatives of more than 100 countries.

Unlike Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was cold-shouldered by India for his perceived soft stance on ‘Khalistan’ supporters, Macron will enjoy Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hospitality with a visit to his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi on 12 March, sources familiar with the visiting leader’s itinerary said.

The two leaders will jointly inaugurate a 75 MW Enviro Solitaire Pvt. Ltd solar power plant at Dadar Kala village in Mirzapur.

Macron will also visit the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and take a boat ride in the Ganga with Modi. Incidentally, Modi had himself taken a boat ride along river Seine in Paris with then French President Francois Hollande during his visit to France in early 2015.

Over the last two decades, the partnership between India and France has grown steadily in different areas, particularly defence and energy.

France has constantly been supportive of India, particularly for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and has shown more comprehension than others in India’s fight against terrorism.

“India-France strategic partnership, established in 1998, is one of the most important and comprehensive bilateral engagements and is marked by intense and frequent high-level exchanges and deep political understanding,” the External Affairs Ministry said.

“We have enhanced our ongoing cooperation in the defence, maritime, space, security, and energy-related sectors, and are increasingly working together on all issues of concern, including terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanisation, science and technology cooperation,” it added.