India, France to set up Indo-Pacific Trilateral Framework

India and France recently decided to increase their collaboration in the Indo-Pacific organisation.

Image Source - En. trend

Details about the news

Trilateral Indo-Pacific framework:

• Recently, France and India decided to create a trilateral Indo-Pacific framework to implement development initiatives.
• In separate trilateral agreements with Australia and the United Arab Emirates, India and France also made the decision to increase cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Indo-Pacific region as a whole:

• A comprehensive Indo-Pacific strategy that aims to offer practical answers for maritime security, regional cooperation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity protection, and healthcare is shared by France and India.

Food crisis & Ukraine war:

• Both countries made the decision to deepen strategic cooperation and committed to collaborating closely to address urgent global concerns including the food crisis brought on by the Ukraine war.
• The "terrible effects" of the war will be addressed by cooperation between France and India.

France supports India on International organizations/platforms:

• France offered India's impending G20 presidency its complete support.
• India's permanent seat in the UNSC:
• France vowed to keep up the pressure on the UNSC to give India a permanent seat.

India and France Relations:

Strategic partnership:

• The two nations established a strategic partnership in 1998. In addition to their close and developing bilateral connection, this cooperation is symbolic of their shared perspectives on a number of international issues.
• Since 1998, when India conducted nuclear tests and the entire world was against us, France has stuck by India through thick and thin.
• France has persisted in endorsing both the United Nations reforms and India's bid for permanent membership in the Security Council.
• In order for India to join the Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group, and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), France's backing was essential (AG).
• France is still in favour of India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)

Indo-Pacific:

• France is a favoured partner in this region, and a Joint Strategic Vision for Collaboration in the Indian Ocean Region, which was signed by both nations in 2018, provides a framework for cooperation in this area.

Economic cooperation:

• India and France have significant economic and commercial relations as well as bilateral investments, especially in fields like IT corridors, smart cities, railroads, capital and trade exchanges, skill development, etc.

Defense:

• The India-France strategic alliance is built on cooperation in the field of defence.
• The two nations conduct an annual interaction on defence at the ministerial level since 2018.
• The three services also regularly conduct defence drills, such as Exercise Varuna (Navy), which is slated to take place in 2020, and Exercise Shakti (Army), which was most recently held in India in November 2019.
• Purchase of Rafale aircraft: On September 23, 2016, in New Delhi, an intergovernmental agreement was reached to allow India to purchase 36 Rafale fighter aircraft (30 fighter and 6 training) in flyaway condition.

Project P-75 Scorpene:

• In October 2006, a contract with DCNS (Naval Group) for six Scorpene submarines was struck.

Space:

• Our two countries' strategic alliance has always been centred on space.
• With ISRO and the French Space Agency (CNES) conducting numerous cooperative research programmes and satellite launches, India and France have a long history of cooperation in the sphere of space dating back more than 50 years.

Environment and renewable energy:

• PM Modi introduced the International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the UN Climate Change CoP21 in 2015, and France is one of its founding members.

Cooperation in the fields of science, technology, and education:

• The Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advance Research (CEFIPRA), based in New Delhi and founded in 1987, plays a significant role in the field of science, technology, and engineering by identifying and funding joint proposals for research projects.
• France is also supporting India in the Jaitpura Nuclear power plant project, in Maharashtra.

In the fight against terrorism:

• India and France have vowed to collaborate in order to get the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) adopted by the UN.

Way Forward

• India and France are progressively collaborating in new fields, such as climate change, security in the Indian Ocean region, the International Solar Alliance, and sustainable growth and development, among others.
• India has a considerable following among French citizens in terms of culture.
• Since 2016, the Indian Embassy in Paris and other French towns has organised the International Day of Yoga, which has garnered praise from the public and extensive press coverage.
• Additionally, year-long celebrations have been planned to mark the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth and the 550th anniversary of Shri Gurunanak Devji.

Also, Read - The financial Stability and Development Council