India-France Strategic Relations: Best NDA Coaching in Lucknow
India-France Strategic Relations:
Background:
France was one of the first countries with which India signed a “strategic partnership” after the end of the Cold War, in January 1998. France was one of the very few countries to support India’s decision to test nuclear weapons in 1998.
Defence Cooperation: Both countries have a defence dialogue at the Ministerial level.
●The three services have regular defence exercises; viz.
Exercise Shakti (Army)
Exercise Varuna (Navy)
Exercise Garuda (Air Force)
Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has inducted French Rafale multi-role combat aircraft.
India entered into a contract with a French firm to build six Scorpene submarines in India’s Malegaon dockyards through a technology-transfer arrangement in 2005. The two countries also signed the Agreement regarding the Provision of Reciprocal Logistics Support.
This agreement will help to facilitate the replenishment of fuel, rations, spares, and berthing and maintenance for the other nations’ warships, military aircraft and troops during routine port calls, as well as during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
The Indian Ocean, the Common Shared Interest:
France needs to protect its colonial territorial possessions like reunion island and the Indian ocean being the zone of influence for India. Recently, France became the 23rd member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). It is the first time that a country whose mainland is not on the Indian Ocean has been brought into the fold of the IORA.
Counter-Terrorism: France backed India’s proposal for a global conference on terrorism. Both the countries also support organising a new “No Money for Terror” – an International Conference on Fighting Terrorist Financing.
France Backing India: France also continues to steadfastly back India on Kashmir while its relations with Pakistan have plummeted in the recent past and China has become an object of suspicion.
Way Forward
France, which had sought strategic autonomy within the framework of its alliance with the US, and India, which has valued independent foreign policy, are natural partners in building the new coalitions for an uncertain era. France also opens the pathway for deeper engagement with Europe on global issues, especially after uncertainty in the region due to BREXIT. The new partnerships with France, Germany and other like-minded countries like Japan would hopefully turn out to be far more consequential for India’s influence on the global stage.
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CONTENT BY PRASHANT SINGH
Faculty of personality development | 5+ years of experience of teaching | Masters in English literature | 10 times CDS qualified, | Defence enthusiast, educator and explorer