Sarkozy visit: France to open consulate in Bangalore

NEW DELHI - France is set to open a new consulate in Bangalore and re-open its consulate in Kolkata during the four-day visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to India that begins Saturday.

Valerie Pecresse, the French minister for higher education and research, will Saturday inaugurate the Bangalore consulate, its fourth in India. The Bangalore consulate will cater to the southern region.

Pecresse, who will be among seven ministers accompanying Sarkozy to India, will fly to Kolkata Sunday to re-open the consulate there.

France has its embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai and Pondicherry.

France has upgraded its diplomatic offices and infrastructure in India in view of the burgeoning economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

France has become India’s fifth trading partner in Europe. Bilateral trade between India and France was estimated to be 5.36 billion euros last year.

The two countries have set a target of achieving 12 billion euros bilateral trade by 2012.

Accompanied by his wife Carla Bruni and seven senior ministers, Sarkozy begins a four-day working visit to India from IT city Bangalore Saturday.

The focus of the visit will be on taking strategic and economic ties between the two countries to new heights.