The two leaders reviewed the new India-France Indo-Pacific Roadmap, giving fresh directions on how to expedite efforts to implement the same.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron had intensive discussions during the latter’s visit. A key focus was on refining the Indo-Pacific strategy of both sides in view of the changing situation in the region. With the increasingly aggressive behaviour of China in mind, India and France have decided to expedite efforts to strengthen “plurilateral” arrangements with more countries in the Indo-Pacific region. New Delhi and Paris are already working with Australia and UAE for this purpose. Now the two countries will focus on reaching out to several new nations as part of the joint strategy to deal with the various security and strategic issues and challenges in the Indo-Pacific amid Beijing’s increasing expansionism in the region.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the strategy during bilateral talks here in New Delhi during which the new India-France Indo-Pacific Roadmap was reviewed and new directions were given,” highly-placed diplomatic sources told The Sunday Guardian.
Strengthening trilateral ties with various countries in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the strategic points that were included in the India-France Indo-Pacific Roadmap which was released in July 2023 during PM Modi’s visit to Paris. The release of this roadmap was an interesting development, underlining the fact that India and France are now in sync on tackling the challenges (from China) in the Indo-Pacific in a much more efficient way, joining hands with different countries, sources said. The fifth paragraph of the Roadmap outlines a shared commitment between Paris and New Delhi to strengthen “plurilateral arrangements with Australia and the UAE and build new ones in the region,” a diplomat told The Sunday Guardian. France sees itself as a resident Indo-Pacific power since several of France’s islands are in the Western Indian Ocean. By broadening the scope of bilateral cooperation from the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to encompass the entire Indo-Pacific region, the India-France Indo-Pacific Roadmap, released in July 2023, underscores the importance of the plan. “PM Modi and President Macron used the opportunity provided by bilateral talks to review the roadmap in the backdrop of coercive activities of China in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. The diplomats from both sides shared the updates on the development related to the implementation of the strategy mentioned in the roadmap, sources added. “India and France will now fast-track the on-going efforts to expand cooperation with more like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region. India, France, the UAE and Australia recently conducted a major air exercise as part of the arrangements mentioned in the roadmap, officials say. More such exercises are in the offing, a source said. “While assessing the agenda which was set during Modi’s Paris visit, the two leaders issued fresh directions to the diplomatic, security, military and intelligence establishments of both countries to accelerate the works and projects in the Indo-Pacific,” diplomatic sources told this newspaper.
French President Macron assured PM Modi of all possible support and cooperation to India on all other global platforms to deal with challenges that Pakistan and China continue to pose. “Though Macron did not name any specific country, the indication from the French President was more than clear,” sources said. Also, France will work more closely and vigorously with India at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to ensure that Pakistan stops funding and providing safe havens to terror groups operating from its territory. Moreover, Paris will work hard together with New Delhi to deal with China’s anti-India agenda at the United Nations Security Council. Macron extended support for India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UNSC. Sources said that France will not only extend moral support to India, but also work on a joint strategy to try and see that China does not create obstacles any more in New Delhi’s mission to achieve the UNSC goal.
PM Modi and President Emmanuel Macron appreciated the growing counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation between the two countries, including through the mechanism of the India-France Joint Working Group on counter-terrorism. The two countries welcomed the formalisation of cooperation between the National Security Guard (NSG) of India and the Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) of France for agency-level cooperation in the field of counterterrorism, as per the India-France joint statement following President Macron’s state visit to India for the Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron reaffirmed their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and shared their resolve to stand together in the common fight against global terrorism. They further agreed that no country should provide safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts. The leaders also called for concerted action against all terrorists, including through designations or individuals affiliated with groups that are listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. The two sides emphasized the importance of upholding international standards on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, consistent with Financial Action Task Force recommendations. Both countries reiterated their commitment to work together in FATF, NMFT and other multilateral platforms.