India will sign a defence pact with the Netherlands during the visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Amsterdam on October 7.

Singh will stop at Amsterdam en route to Bordeaux in France to attend the ceremony for the formal handing over of the first Rafale jet to the Indian Air Force on October 8.

The agreement with the Netherlands will be for the protection of classified information, which will pave the way for enhancing defence ties between the two countries. The agreement will be signed during the meeting between Singh and his Dutch counterpart Ank Bijleveld

The agreement with the Netherlands will be for the protection of classified information, which will pave the way for enhancing defence ties between the two countries. The agreement will be signed during the meeting between Singh and his Dutch counterpart Ank Bijleveld.

Later, in France, after attending the Rafale handing over ceremony at Bordeaux on October 8 - which is both Dussehra and Indian Air Force Day - Singh will head for Paris where he will hold talks with his French counterpart, Florence Parly, on October 9 amidst a strong French push to scale up strategic ties.

The Rajnath Singh-Florence Parly talks will take place in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Summit meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at Paris on August 22, and the Strategic Dialogue between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his French counterpart Emmanuel Bonne at New Delhi on August 29.

France is seeking to break new ground through its offers of cooperation in India's critical military acquisition and weapons development programmes. It's strongly pushing for a follow-on order for 36 Rafale fighters. Its most significant offer for cooperation in India's programme to build 6 nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) was first reported by SP's

France is seeking to break new ground through its offers of cooperation in India's critical military acquisition and weapons development programmes. It's strongly pushing for a follow-on order for 36 Rafale fighters. Its most significant offer for cooperation in India's programme to build 6 nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) was first reported by SP's (https://www.spsmai.com/news/?id=874&q=France-set-to-offer-nuclear-submarines-to-India)

France is also keen to ensure early contracts for long-pending programmes like the procurement of 62 C-295 transport aircraft for the IAF and the Coast Guard.

Rajnath Singh and Florence Parly will take stock of defence ties, including the status of important procurement programmes of interest to France, sources indicated.