On September 13, 2023, the French new ambassador-designate to India, Thierry Mathou said that he is taking office at an exceptional time. He called it a moment that has been chosen to take a look towards the future by setting the course of the ties between the two nations for the next 25 years.
The New French Ambassador
In his arrival message, Mathou said “I am taking office at an exceptional time. This year is not only an opportunity to celebrate the length and depth of the relationship between the two countries. It is also the moment that has been chosen to look towards the future by setting the course of our partnership for the next 25 years, that is 2047 which will celebrate the centenary of the Indo-French relations.”
The French Envoy said that his role now is to implement the roadmap adopted by the leaders of the two countries. He noted that the roadmap is structured around three pillars His remarks come after Emmanuel Lenaian bid farewell to India after his four-year tenure was completed as the Ambassador of France to India.
While sharing the arrival message, the French embassy in India posted on X. “Today the Embassy welcomes the new ambassador-designate of France to India, Mr Theirry Mathou. Read his message on the significance of the strategic partnership and his ambition to take it forward across all areas.”
The Indo-French Roadmap
“My role is now to implement with determination and ambition for our partnership the roadmap adopted by our leaders which is structured around three pillars: Firstly – a partnership for security and sovereignty which has a particular meaning, France and India being two major stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region; Secondly, a partnership for the planet and global issues which is essential to meet the challenges of climate change. Thirdly, a partnership for the people,” he said.
Calling the roadmap “very concrete,” he said that it is intended to translate into numerous programs and projects that will have an impact on daily life, like training new generations of Indian students in France, creating tens of thousands of new jobs in India, bringing together scientists and engineers to advance research and technology in all fields and create new bridges between cultures of India and France which have a universal vocation, work together to improve global health and preserve nature on land and in the oceans, where he noted “India has so much to offer to the world” and contribute to peace, security and development in the region.”
Indo-French Strategic Partnership
Theirry Mathou called the Indo-French partnership strategic and said that he is looking forward to working with Indian authorities to translate the vision of the two leaders into action and further promote our shared values of liberty equality and fraternity along with democracy. Our partnership is strategic and I also like to describe it as universal as it goes from sea to space.
I am thrilled to embark on this journey with all of you, he added. Mathou said that he is happy and proud to be in India and recalled his visits to the country. He also cited Julius Michelet who called India the matrix of the world and it is exactly as he feels for India.
“As I just arrived in New Delhi from Bangkok to take my new assignment as Ambassador of France to India, I want to tell you how happy and proud I am to be in India, a country I have been visiting so many times since my first trip here more than forty years ago, a country once described by Jules Michelet, a famous French historian from the 19th Century as “the matrix of the world,” he said.
“It is exactly how I feel about India and why it was so obvious for France to embrace the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – One Earth, One Family, One Future- proposed by India as the outlook of the recent G20 Summit,” he added.
Remarks of the Erstwhile Ambassador
He made the Last week, France’s then-Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain thanked New Delhi, terming the country’s energy, optimism, and confidence in the friendship between the two nations as “invaluable.” He said India and its people have taught him so much and he will cherish his experience of serving in India for the past four years.
The Former French Ambassador, Emmanuel Lenain made the remarks in a video posted on X. In the video, he shared glimpses of his tenure in India, noting that the two nations have made progress in the Indo-Pacific. Lenain said in the video, “To all of you who have followed me during these 4 years as Ambassador of France to India: thank you. Your energy, optimism and confidence in the friendship have been invaluable. India and its people have taught me so much – I will always cherish this experience.”
“Dear Friends, Au Revoir, Today, I am leaving India after four wonderful years in your country. And I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have been following me, you have been sharing ideas, your energy, and your optimism. It has been a great help.
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