New Delhi, Jan 9 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Today  spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and said the French presidency of the EU adds an important dimension to the bilateral strategic ties.

In a tweet, the EAM also said that the Indo-French bilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific has a larger significance.

“Delighted to speak to French Foreign Minister @JY_LeDrian today.

“We recognized that our achievements of 2021 are a strong foundation for 2022.

“The presidency of EU that France occupies adds an important dimension to our strategic relationship.

“Our cooperation with respect to the Indo-Pacific has a larger significance,” he said.

On 1 January 2022, France took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months, for the first time in 14 years.

The French government announced that it would like to build its presidency around the concepts of “Recovery, Strength and a sense of Belonging”.

Each Member State holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months on a rotational basis. France will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU till 30 June 2022.

The Presidency of the Council organizes meetings, brokers compromises, submits conclusions and ensures the coherency and continuity of the decision-making process. It ensures good cooperation between all Member States and acts as a liaison between the Council and the European institutions, in particular the Commission and European Parliament.(UNI)