Recent talks between the External Affairs Minister of India and his French counterpart have brought a host of regional and global issues to light. Items on the agenda ranged from the India-EU relationship, the Afghanistan situation, the Indo-Pacific Strategy, South China Sea Dispute, Iran nuclear deal to the Ukraine crisis.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting
Several crucial initiatives and agreements took centre stage during the dialogue between the two leaders:
Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership
The key highlight was an agreement to jointly launch the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership. This venture aims to build sustainable management capacities for protected areas in the Indo-Pacific region by facilitating knowledge exchange between public & private natural park managers.
Advancing the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance
A significant step forward was the adoption of the “India-France Roadmap on the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance”. The roadmap’s objective is to fortify the partnership in the blue economy domain through institutional, economic, infrastructural, and scientific cooperation.
Strengthening India-EU Ties
The ministers agreed on reinforcing India-EU ties under the French Presidency. They expressed the need for negotiations on the Free Trade and Investment Agreements and the implementation of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership.
Reinforcing Multilateralism and Strategic Partnership
There was mutual agreement on coordinating within the United Nations Security Council on matters of common concern. Moreover, there was a consensus on deepening the strategic partnership, particularly in trade and investments, defence and security, health, education, research and innovation, energy and climate change.
Boosting People-To-People Contact
An agreement to conclude a Joint Declaration of Intent in the field of Sports to facilitate people-to-people contact was also reached. Strengthening cooperation on public administration and administrative reforms between the relevant authorities was another significant point of discussion.
Main Areas of Cooperation in India-France Relations
France’s relationship with India has historically been robust, with France becoming one of the first nations to enter into a “strategic partnership” with India post-Cold War, in January 1998. France has increasingly become India’s most reliable ally particularly on issues relating to terrorism and Kashmir.
Defence Cooperation
On the defence front, an annual dialogue at the ministerial level and regular exercise between all three services viz. – Exercise Shakti (Army), Exercise Varuna (Navy), and Exercise Garuda (Air Force) is carried out. India’s recent induction of French Rafale multi-role combat aircraft and agreements with French companies for building Scorpene submarines underlines their deepening defence ties.
Economic Relations and Trade
The India-France Administrative Economic and Trade Committee (AETC) plays a vital role in promoting bilateral trade and investment and resolving market access issues to benefit economic operators.
Joint Global Agendas
France and India share common goals on global issues such as climate change, biodiversity, renewable energy, terrorism, cybersecurity and digital technology, etc. Their joint efforts culminated in the development of the International Solar Alliance, and agreements on roadmaps for cybersecurity and digital technology.
Future Perspectives on the India-France Relationship
With BREXIT causing regional uncertainty, France presents a pathway for deeper engagement with Europe on worldwide issues. New partnerships with France, Germany, and other like-minded countries like Japan could significantly boost India’s influence on the global stage.
