India France Strategic Agreement

Table of Contents

India France Strategic Agreement: Relevance

GS 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Recently,National Security Advisor (NSA) of both India and France met and resolved to expand the defence ties.

Both the countries agreed to strengthen defence and security partnership by enhancing intelligence and information sharing, bolstering capabilities, expanding military drills and pursuing new initiatives in maritime, space and cyber domains
The two sides also discussed “the continuing challenge of terrorism; and, emerging threats in maritime, cyber and space domains”.

The India-France strategic dialogue is held annually with the two countries alternating as hosts.
France has an emphatic presence in the Indian Ocean region.
- Its overseas territories of Reunion Island and Mayotte island makes it a stakeholder in the region, which is fast developing into a theatre of geostrategic power-play.
France has emerged as a key partner in the Indian Ocean in recent years.
- Recently, India signed a logistics sharing agreement with France, which enables India and France to use each other’s military facilities.
China is increasing its stake in the Indian Ocean region with its presence in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Djibouti.
- India’s agreement with France could act as a deterrent to the growing ambitions of China as the French Navy has permanent bases in Djibouti and Abu Dhabi besides in territories of Reunion Island and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
India and France have robust economic and strategic ties for several decades. The bilateral bonding has strengthened in recent years with India deepening its military and defence ties with France.
On economic front, the French companies have been among the top investors in India in the fields of renewable energy, defence, infrastructure and smart cities, and pharmaceuticals.