India and France have agreed to strengthen mutual partnership by enhancing intelligence and information sharing and capabilities, and by expanding military exercises and launching new initiatives in the maritime, space and cyber sectors.
- France has emphasized partnership with India as a key pillar of its Indo-Pacific strategy. It has reiterated its support for self-reliant India and defense industrialization in India.
- This activity in the Indo-French partnership is mainly driven by the formation of the AUKUS, to which France objected. The “AUKUS” is literally a new security alliance of Australia, the UK and the US.
- The aim of the “AUKUS” is to further promote mutual cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and to greater sharing of defense capabilities within this alliance, if required.
- It is known that as part of this agreement, Australia will abandon its plans to build French conventional submarines. Instead, the United Kingdom will build ships based on United States-based technologies.
Importance of strong cooperation with France for India:
- This will create a single market for quick procurement of advanced military technologies, as India’s indigenous defense industry is yet to develop.
- Joint patrol with France in the North-West Indian Ocean will provide additional security to India.
- With well-established joint economic cooperation between Indian and French companies, it will be easier for India to find common ground for future economic partnership in the Gulf region.
- In addition, both countries will be able to offer a credible alternative against Chinese economic and military aid in the region.
Source – The Hindu
