By Lt Col Umang Kohli (Retd)
New Delhi, October 6. Indo-French cooperation and friendship has always been under emphasized. The India-France strategic partnership, spans into diverse areas of cooperation. From defence cooperation to anti climate change action plan, India and France see a major convergence of ideas. France has always supported India’s idea of a multipolar world, and larger framework of multilateralism internationaly, and respect for international law.
France is India’s Second-largest defence supplier and has been a reliable partner for a very long time. The French made Dassault Mirage 2000s, were effectively used by India during the Kargil War and The Mirages were used to carry out airstrikes in Balakot in 2019. France has never been shy of cooperation with respect to India’s defence modernisation efforts, technology transfers have not been a taboo either. This has boosted indigenous production capabilities of India in the long run. France not only supported India’s nuclear tests but also defying the US-led sanctions, signed a civil nuclear pact with India. The two countries have been cooperating in the UN. They are also cooperating in the spheres of Blue Economy and Ocean Governance.
Even when matters of Internal Security of India were in focus, for example abrogation of Article 370, France maintained that it was an internal matter of India and India had a sovereign right to take policy decisions to protect its integrity. France has always expressed its support for India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and for its accession to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). France is working with India to persuade UN to adopt the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).
India and France have set up an Indo-Pacific trilateral framework to roll out development projects, and expand strategic cooperation, to ensure there was “no imbalance” in the Indo Pacific Region. Towards this effect, France led a multilateral exercise ‘La Perouse’ with the navies of Quad countries – India, US, Australia , Japan- and the UK in the Indian Ocean region. France and India also allow each other’s warships access to various naval stations across the Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy also has also been given access to significant French ports, including one in Djibouti. MOU between India and France recently to fabricate submarines and surface combatants is no secret.
The most underplayed area of cooperation however remains the space sector. Though the collaboration between India and France in the space domain spans several decades little has been spoken about it. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French space agency, CNES, in the past worked on the development of the Viking engine, which paved the way for the ‘Vikas’ engine. This engine is used in India’s rockets, like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III). It is expected that cooperation between India and France in the field of Space Industry and Technology is likely to grow many folds.
Apart from bilateral association the two countries have managed to form trilateral framework in order to safeguard their interests. India-France-UAE trilateral framework and India-France- Australia trilateral mechanism have been instrumental in safeguarding India’s trade interests in the region.
France and India both are liberal, multi cultural democracies with shared values and ideas of larger world order. Both the countries stress on “strategic autonomy,” and the capability to make decisions independent from external pressures, in the main policy areas. India believes that this strategic autonomy can only sustain if indigenous capability in major sectors is retained, however cooperation in development of the same is a prerequisite. France has always supported this stance of India leading to comparable foreign policy. Is remains to be seen if in the years to come this bromance will sustain but for now the bonding looks strong. Synergy between France and India is clearly out in the open at present.
