India-France ties on the upswing

THE Ministry of External Affairs announced last week that French President Emmanuel Macron would be the chief guest for the 75th Republic Day. His predecessor, Francois Hollande, was the chief guest in 2016. It was in 1976 that then Prime Minister Jacques Chirac had become the first French leader to be invited as the R-Day chief guest; he was also accorded the honour in 1998, when he was the President.

While France wishes to develop its ties with India, it will take care not to let their growth affect its relations with China or Pakistan.

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In 1976, India was under the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Almost all Western democracies were very critical of the move and maintained distance from her government. Obviously, France saw an opportunity to create an opening with India and pursued its interests instead of taking a ‘moral’ position. This time, France overlooked the fact that India’s first choice as chief guest for the Republic Day was US President Joe Biden. It decided to promptly accept the invitation. France has again opted to prioritise its economic and strategic interests in India. And, going by media reports, France is in contention for major defence acquisitions planned by India. Naturally, India will be governed by its interests and will buy only that equipment which meets its needs and at appropriate prices, but Macron may well consider his response to the invitation as ‘facilitation’. French diplomacy has always had a strong practical streak. This was also visible in its milder negative response to India’s nuclear tests of 1998 than those of other Western powers.

Besides, the acceptance of the invitation at short notice shows that there is a good equation between Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is also borne out by the fact that departing from the protocol, the invitation has been extended by PM Modi instead of President Droupadi Murmu. Modi and Macron have met on numerous occasions bilaterally as well as on the sidelines of multilateral events after the latter took charge as the President in 2017. In the context of their meetings, Macron’s state visit to India in March 2018 was significant. Both countries decided to give special attention to their cooperation in space. They also signed an agreement to cooperate in the Indian Ocean Region. Modi visited France in August 2019, when a ‘roadmap’ on cybersecurity and digital technologies exchange was finalised.

Both leaders have also discussed the regional and international situations during their interactions. And, these have undergone great changes since Macron won his first term in 2017; he also won the 2022 presidential election. Under the French Constitution, a President can only have two five-year terms; hence, Macron will be in office till 2027. He came to India for the G20 meeting in New Delhi in September.

It can be expected that the Israel-Hamas war will be a major subject during the Modi-Macron interaction next month. It is difficult to predict if Israel’s large-scale kinetic actions in Gaza would end or subside by the time Macron arrives in India. What seems certain is that Israel and the majority of the Jewish people are determined to do all it takes to ensure that Hamas is finished and that the events of October 7 are never repeated. They seem unmindful of the enormous suffering that has been caused to the civilian population of Gaza by the operations of the Israeli armed forces.

France has taken the most forward position of all Western countries in demanding that there should be a humanitarian truce leading to a permanent ceasefire. Its call for Israeli restraint has been far stronger than that of India. Both countries, though, feel that a permanent solution lies in the creation of two states, which will lead to peace within secure borders. It will be interesting to observe how Modi and Macron address the Israeli-Arab conflict during their meeting.

There is no doubt that the Modi-Macron conversation in Delhi will also touch on the prolonged war in Ukraine. France, along with its European partners, has taken a very strong position against the Russian aggression. It is also continuing its assistance to Ukraine. The European Union will open negotiations with Ukraine on its membership of the organisation. India has been unhappy with the Russian invasion and Modi has indicated as much in his oft-quoted remark that this is “not an era of war.” However, India has major interests in Russia. Its position on Ukraine has, therefore, been far more nuanced and its relationship with Russia in the energy and defence sectors has continued. Indian and French differences on Ukraine have not impacted their bilateral cooperation, nor are they likely to do so in future.

While France wishes to develop its ties with India, it will take care not to let their growth affect its relations with China or Pakistan. France is against terrorism in the context of Pakistan and is also a strong advocate for freedom of the seas, including in the South China Sea. However, that does not mean it will lean towards India on issues relating to its problems with Pakistan or China. Delhi has the maturity not to let these French approaches adversely impact the growth of its ties with Paris.

Now, a few words on the French action of stopping a chartered plane, which was taking around 300 passengers, mostly Indians, to Nicaragua. France did so due to suspicion of human trafficking. French law against such activities is strong. The plane carrying the passengers has returned to India. It is a fact that human trafficking takes place from India and the French action has only profiled it. A far more purposeful action by the Indian authorities against human trafficking is required.