New Delhi, Sept 16 : A bilateral meeting between Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath and French Minister of State for Foreign Trade Anne Marie Idrac will be held here today.

The issues like bilateral trade, development of investments and exchange of people (forthcoming opening of the consulates general of Bangalore and Kolkata) and with regard to multilateral issues, Indian perspectives in the Doha negotiations (WTO) and the progress expected from the EU-India and France-India summits by the Indian authorities will be discussed during the meeting.

The Ministers will also discuss about the review of Joint Working Groups on agriculture, IT and telecom, transport sector, energy and mineral exploration.

The Protocol of the Indo-French JCM is expected to be signed by both the Ministers.

Idrac’s visit is being made in the perspective of the forthcoming European Union-India and the France-India summits to be held on September 29-30, as well as in a follow-up of the State visit to India made by the President of the French Republic Nicolas Sarkozy in January this year.

During his visit, Idrac is also scheduled to meet Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar and Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Vilas Muttemwar.

The issues likely to be discussed with Sharad Pawar include intensification of French cooperation for developing agricultural productivity and ensuring Indian agro-food security.

Idrac will discuss with Muttemwar the issues like presentation of innovative French companies from the renewable energy sector. (ANI)