The French connection
Current circumstance:
- It was recently revealed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the special guest at Friday’s Bastille Day parade in Paris.
- The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the oldest of India’s more than 30 strategic partnerships abroad, one of the few that have had “total convergence” since the two nations committed to it in 1998.
India and France share a distinctive bond:
- France was the first country to recognise the strategic significance of India’s nuclear tests in 1998, and the two countries thereafter started their strategic cooperation.
- France is the key partner in India’s most important strategic partnership in Europe. This is one of the few such alliances India has that displays total convergence.
- behind standing behind India, particularly during civil nuclear discussions with the US, France has supported the civil nuclear accord with the US.
- The recent signing of agreements for the sale of 36 Rafale aircraft in September 2016 and the construction of six European pressurised water reactors (EPR) at the Jaitapur site in March 2018 are directly tied to this cooperation between the two nations.
- Due to this, both nations place a high priority on a number of fields, such as civil nuclear energy, defence, counterterrorism, space cooperation, cyber security, and digital technology.
Bilateral cooperation in the sectors of climate, defence, and technology:
- With the recent visit of the Indian prime minister to France, India has the opportunity to demonstrate its strategic independence.
- India’s strategic autonomy is complemented by France’s strong notion of strategic autonomy.
- Dependability and trust are characteristics of the defence link, an important feature of relationships.
- The French agreements are unconditional, unlike the US defence deals, which are subject to Congressional meddling and export control rules. India does not want to focus all of its defence efforts in a single sector, something France is aware of.
- During the PM’s visit, it is likely that agreements or announcements will be made regarding the purchase of 26 Rafale-M (the marine version) fighters for the Indian Navy and the co-production of three additional Scorpene class submarines at the publicly traded Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, which has already produced six Scorpene/Kalvari-class submarines under an earlier agreement.
- Additionally, the French contributed their own Safran engine, which was wholly made in India. 100% technology transfer is guaranteed.
- Both countries collaborate extensively on programmes to prevent climate change.
- In order to establish a reliable and long-lasting value chain for a global supply of decarbonized hydrogen, they came to an agreement on a Road Map on Green Hydrogen last October. This plan calls for “bringing the French and Indian hydrogen ecosystems together.”
- In February 2022, the two nations reached an agreement on a road map for the blue economy and ocean governance.
Another road map for digital technology partnership:
- The development of quantum computing, AI, and 6G is all ongoing.
- NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lyra, a French provider of payment services, signed an MoU last month to enable UPI and RuPay payments throughout Europe.
The world, France, and India:
- India and France cherish their strategic autonomy, desire independence in their foreign policies, and support a multipolar world despite the fact that both nations acknowledge the US’s presence and importance in the global order.
- During a three-day state visit to Beijing in April, during which he held extensive discussions with President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron told accompanying media that Europe must avoid being entangled in America’s conflict with China and maintain its “strategic autonomy.”
- He claimed that if the confrontation between the US and China grew worse, European countries may become “vassals” due to the “extraterritoriality of the dollar” and Europe’s reliance on the US for security.
- Additionally, he advocated for France to be the “third superpower” in Europe.
- Along with it, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing geopolitical turbulence have raised awareness of India’s strategic importance in Europe and vice versa.
- France, which is India’s main ally in Europe and has a more nuanced view of the conflict than most of its neighbours, is better able to comprehend New Delhi’s position on the conflict than other European states, particularly the requirement for the international community to engage in genuine diplomatic efforts to bring about peace.
- In order to increase marine domain awareness and track China’s operations in the region, France may also play a significant role, strengthening India’s participation in the Quad. Only France has territories in the Indo-Pacific region of the EU.
Conclusion:
- As a result, the two nations have strong relations in a number of areas, including military and civil nuclear energy, cyber security, space collaboration, and climate change. For the sake of the populations of the two countries and a stable international order, these relationships will need to be strengthened in the future.
