Exploring the blue in the India-France partnership

Source– The post is based on the article “Exploring the blue in the India-France partnership” published in The Hindu on 10th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Bilateral grouping and agreements

Relevance– India and France bilateral relationship

News– India and France are celebrating 25 years of their strategic partnership.

What is the current status of the relationship between the two countries?

Strategic cooperation– Strategic partnership was signed in 1998. They have shared values and aspirations of peace, stability. Both have a desire for strategic autonomy.

There are no real substantive disagreements between the two nations.

There is a high level India-­France political dialogue that is ongoing in defence, maritime, counterterrorism and the Indo­Pacific.

Trade and investment– France has emerged as a key trading partner of India. Annual trade was $12.42 billion in 2021­-22.

It is the 11th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of $10.31 billion from April 2000 to June 2022. It represents 1.70% of the total foreign direct investment inflows into India.

DExploring the blue in the India-France partnership partnership– It has emerged as a key defence partner for India, becoming the second largest defence supplier in 2017­-2021.

Key examples of defence cooperation are the induction of the French Scorpene conventional submarines, built under technology transfer agreement of 2005, and the Rafale fighter jets.

The Tata group has also tied up with Airbus to manufacture C­295 tactical transport aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat.

There is a robust network of military dialogues. They regularly held joint exercises like Varuna, Garuda, and Shakti.

Civil nuclear cooperation– France was among the first countries with which India signed a civil nuclear deal. It has also played a critical role in limiting India’s isolation in the non­-proliferation order after the 1998 nuclear tests.

France supports India’s bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council as well as its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Climate change–  it is an area of importance for both. India has supported France in the Paris Agreement expressing its strong commitment towards mitigating climate change impact. Both countries launched the International Solar Alliance in 2015.

Cooperation in the Indian ocean– India and France are resident powers of the Indian Ocean and in the Indo ­Pacific. Both have signed “Joint Strategic Vision of India ­France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region” which presented a blueprint for a strengthening of ties. In operational terms, both do joint patrolling in the Indian Ocean.

Indo Pacific– Both countries have articulated their common vision for a free, fair and open Indo ­Pacific. It seeks to provide comprehensive solutions for maritime security, regional cooperation, and climate change adaptation.

India and France in September 2022 agreed to set up an Indo­-Pacific Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund that will support sustainable innovative solutions for countries in the region. The two partners have formed a trilateral grouping with the United Arab Emirates to ensure maritime domain awareness and security from the east coast of Africa to the far Pacific.

Global cooperation– While there are divergences over the Ukraine crisis, there is a broad understanding of each other’s position. Both countries are working together to coordinate on playing a constructive role in the crisis.

Mr. Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the few world leaders who have maintained open communication channels with the Russian President and Ukraine’s President.

Both countries share concerns over the rise of China and its aggressive behaviour.

Cooperation in emerging areas– They are looking for cooperation in issues such as digitisation, cyber, green energy, a blue economy, ocean sciences, and space.