NEW DELHI (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the fourth India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with the Minister of Armed Forces of the French Republic Sebastien Lecornu on his visit to India from November 26-28, officials said.

The visiting French minister shall also meet the external affairs minister and the national security advisor, the defence ministry said in a statement.

This is the first visit of Lecornu as French minister of Armed Forces to India. He is also scheduled to visit headquarters of the Southern Naval Command in Kochi and see India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, it said.

India and France have close and friendly relations.

In 1998, the two countries entered into Strategic Partnership, marking convergence of their views on a range of international issues apart from a close and growing bilateral relationship. India and France are partners in defence and armaments, contributing to India's policy of strategic autonomy in the defence sector through numerous industrial cooperation, the statement said.