Lucknow, Nov 25 (PTI) Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain on Wednesday called upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence here and had a courtesy meeting, the state government said in a statement issued here.

The ambassador said France wants to increase cooperation with India, especially with Uttar Pradesh.

Also Read | Bharat Bandh Today: Why Trade Unions Issued Call for One-Day Strike? Who All Are Participating? What May Remain Closed.

Adityanath, while inviting France to invest in Uttar Pradesh, said the scope of investment in the state is "immense".

He thanked the French government for making available fighter jet Rafale. He also said France is a partner of India against terrorism.

Also Read | SEBI Revises Steps Announced to Curb Market Volatility Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

Twenty-four 24 French companies had participated in the Defence Expo held in Lucknow in February this year.

The chief minister said to boost investment in UP, the state government has formulated different sectoral policies. "A positive atmosphere has been created to attract investment. As far as the ease of doing business is concerned, UP is number 2 in the country. Of the two defence corridors in the country, one is in UP. In the defence corridor, there many possibilities of investment in various sectors including cyber security".

He also said that in France, there is a big market for Uttar Pradesh's 'one district, one product', according to the statement.

"Students from here will be invited for studies in universities of France," he said. He also said his team visited IIM Lucknow, and will tour other universities in the state. France wants to increase cooperation with UP in the education sector, he said.

The envoy said that due to the situation arising out of COVID-19 and to strengthen the supply chain, French companies are shifting from China to elsewhere. "For this, India is the first priority country," he said.

The ambassador said French companies will be informed about positive environment of investment in Uttar Pradesh.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)