Mod 5: Bilateral Pacts with France & Slovakia, Quad Ministers & Critical Minerals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Visit to France & Slovakia (June 13–18, 2026):

• France (Nice, June 13–14): PM Modi's 7th visit to France since 2014. Along with President Macron, he inaugurated the 'Bharat Innovates' showcase at Palais des Expositions de Nice under the India-France Innovation Year (2026). Bilateral talks were held at Villa Kerylos, reviewing the 'Horizon 2047 Roadmap'. Key pacts included the adoption of the France-India Innovation Roadmap 2030, doubling bilateral trade to $32 billion in 5 years, establishing an ICCR India Chair at Université Paris-Saclay, and a National Center for Excellence at NSTI Kanpur for aeronautics. France assured visa-free transit for Indian travelers at French airports.
• Slovakia (Bratislava, June 14–16): The first visit by an Indian Prime Minister since the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia on January 1, 1993. PM Modi received a traditional 'Bread and Salt' ceremony and held talks with PM Robert Fico at Bratislava Castle, upgrading ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. Slovakia reiterated its support for India's permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council.

Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi (May 26, 2026):

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar hosted his counterparts—Penny Wong (Australia), Toshimitsu Motegi (Japan), and Marco Rubio (US Secretary of State) at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

• Reaffirmed commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, through which 60% of global maritime trade passes.
• Announced the construction of a joint port facility in Fiji.
• Launched the $20 billion Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework to counter China's monopoly in rare earth supply chains.
• Committed to securing undersea subsea cable networks across all Pacific Island nations by 2026.

India-US Critical Minerals Agreement (May 26, 2026):

On the sidelines of the Quad meeting, Dr. S. Jaishankar and Marco Rubio signed a bilateral strategic agreement to secure resilient supply chains for mining, processing, and supplying critical minerals and rare earth elements (vital for semiconductors, EVs, and defense tech). This complements the Pax Silica Declaration and the India-US AI Opportunity Partnership.