With the recent visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India , New Delhi-Paris ties are poised to attain a new high. It is believed the Mumbai talks between President Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led to the elevation of the ties between the two nations to the level of a “Special Strategic Partnership”. The two leaders emphasised the Indo-French relationship today was capable of reaching from the “deep oceans to the tallest mountains”. They discussed a road-map as to how New Delhi and Paris could cooperate in the areas, including critical minerals, biotechnology and advanced materials.
Interestingly, France reiterated its explicit commitment on defence technology transfer to India. Following this, India and France will now be co-manufacturing the helicopter capable of flying to the heights of Mount Everest. New Delhi could export such systems across the world. One is sure all commitments made, during the Modi-Macron talks in Mumbai, will be honoured in time. India and France have had close strategic ties. France has consistently been a reliable partner for India. It has supplied to India, from time to time, the items ranging from nuclear reactor technology to advanced weapons systems. It may be recalled that in 1998, New Delhi, under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, conducted nuclear tests. Incensed over it, much of the West ostracised India. But Paris did not. It stood by New Delhi.
Most interestingly, Prime Minister Modi and President Macron used the Mumbai meet to align their contemporary geopolitical visions and agreed to support all efforts for peace in every region, including in the Indo-Pacific. One would suggest New Delhi and Paris must take appropriate measures to foster peace in the Indo-Pacific. Like the rest of the contemporary world, the Indo-Pacific is facing a lot of uncertainties today. The United States, under its current President Donald J Trump, is increasingly abdicating from its responsibility to lead the modern free world. Communist China has grown increasingly aggressive in the Indo-Pacific region. Such challenges demand that India and France assert their partnership in such way that they stand as an effective force to stabilize the world today.
Needless to say, Japan has had a crucial role to play in fostering peace in the Indo-Pacific. Given the growing friendship between India and Japan, New Delhi can be of great help to Paris in bringing it closer to Tokyo in the Indo-Pacific. One thinks time is opportune for this. Relations between France and Japan have of late got much stronger.
In November last year, on the sidelines of the G20 Johannesburg Summit, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had a talk with French President Macron. The two leaders are said to have recognized the connectivity between the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions as essential for global peace. Security in the two regions is intertwined due to their shared challenges, including geopolitical competition and the alignment of authoritarian states in the region.
