With great powers undergoing a moment of reckoning and emerging powers pulling up the strings in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the roles of India and France have become significant in building a prosperous and peaceful security architecture. Recently, Prime Minister Modi was in France to celebrate the silver jubilee of the strategic partnership between the two nations and also set the tone for the next twenty-five years of the flourishing relationship. The visit and the subsequent joint statement of the two residential powers of the Indian Ocean were full of substance and symbolism. Amidst the various issues ranging from sea to stars mentioned in the future roadmap of the ties, working on triangular development cooperation was seen as one of the key areas that has the potential to take the partnership to the zenith. Extending the burgeoning partnership to a third country across the Indian Ocean, and further to the Pacific will be an opportunity for both democracies to harness the growing confidence and credence which was also reflected in the 2018 Joint Strategic Vision of India and France in the Indian Ocean Region. In this context, island nations can become a point of departure.
Triangular cooperation is not new to either New Delhi or Paris. Both have taken quite a few successful programmes in Asia and Africa individually. While India is working with the United States through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in various sectors like agriculture, clean energy, health, investment, and others, France has taken similar programmes in Africa to counter terrorism with Spain and Morocco. The coming together of India and France collectively by setting up an Indo-Pacific Triangular Cooperation (IPTDC) Fund is a new initiative in this regard. The objective of undertaking climate-related and SDG-oriented projects will open a new chapter in Indo-French ties.
India and France have extended areas of territorial jurisdiction in the IOR. While Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are under Indian administration, La Reunion and Mayotte are under French governance. Therefore, both of these nations enjoy considerable influence and weight in the region. At a time when China is increasing its presence in the island nations through its economic, military, institutional, and diplomatic engagement, which has raised strategic concerns, the time is apt for New Delhi and Paris to pull the strings in the island nations and not let them sink into the great power competition by addressing their demands based on their priorities. Several East African islands, like Mauritius, the Seychelles, and La Reunion, are francophone. While India shares deep civilizational and people-to-people ties with these territories, in addition to being a net security provider in the region. The partnership will also lower the cost of development projects while at the same time allowing a viable alternative to the growing role of China.
What brings France and India closer to each other is a cohort of shared values, interests, and beliefs, like the maintenance of a free, open, inclusive, secure, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region. Further to this end, they believe in working with others and building partnerships of prosperity and sustainability that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity. Synchronizing synergies in capacity building and infrastructure development in island nations will give impetus to their growing convergences in the maritime domain and help them garner support in the nations where such projects are executed. Given the small land area versus large exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the island nations, potential areas of triangular development could be the blue economy and maritime security through maritime domain awareness. Another important area that deserves attention in many of the island countries is renewable energy and climate-resilient infrastructure due to the vulnerability of climate change. With India and France being the foundational members of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), they can play an influential role in the island countries. Such initiatives will not only fill the vacuum of limited skilled human resources and infrastructure but will also create a win-win situation for all the players by benefitting all.
Islands are no longer floating land on the sea. But instead, they are large nations, as claimed by PM Modi on his visit to Papua New Guinea. Due to their significant geopolitical, geoeconomics, and geostrategic imperatives, they offer opportunities to collaborate. In this context, the coming together of India and France through triangular cooperation is the right step ahead which will allow each player to play a larger role in the Indo-Pacific region. Also, due to Paris being an integral part of Europe’s economic and security architecture, its success will be able to set the trend for others to follow.
[Photo by Prime Minister’s Office, India via Wikimedia Commons]
Radhey Tambi is a research associate at the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
