India and France held the 22nd edition of Air Staff Talks in New Delhi from September 29 to October 1, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation through joint training, combined exercises, and sharing of best practices, the Indian Air Force (IAF) announced on Thursday.

The talks were co-chaired by Air Vice Marshal S.K. Taliyan for India and Brigadier General Nicolas Chambaz for France. Deliberations focused on Professional Military Education, operational coordination, and exchanging ideas to strengthen air force collaboration.

The 22nd Air Staff Talks build on India-France defence engagement, following the 17th meeting of the India-France Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism held in Paris on September 11. During that meeting, Indian and French officials reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism in all forms and condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives.

The delegations exchanged threat assessments and discussed challenges including state-sponsored cross-border terrorism, regional terrorist activities in South Asia and the Middle East, and the misuse of emerging technologies by terror groups. Radicalisation, online recruitment, and terrorist propaganda were highlighted as growing global concerns.

Both nations emphasised the importance of joint efforts on international platforms such as the United Nations, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the No Money for Terror (NMFT) initiative. Discussions also explored expanding counter-terrorism dialogue to cover organised crime, cybersecurity threats, and online intelligence sharing.

The India-France talks underscore the two countries’ shared commitment to strengthening defence ties, enhancing security cooperation, and addressing evolving global threats through training, exercises, and multilateral coordination.