President Emmanuel Macron’s go to to India as chief visitor at our Republic Day celebrations had a ceremonial facet, little doubt, however in relations between states ceremonial gestures convey a message at many ranges – of an honour deserved, significance of the connection, an funding into the long run, anticipated advantages, a sign to others, and the like.

When Prime Minister Modi was fêted by President Joe Biden throughout his go to to the US in June 2023, it conveyed a powerful political message on the bilateral and worldwide ranges, of the US wooing India for bigger strategic targets. Ceremony is a part of diplomacy and isn’t with out substance.

Modi himself was Guest of Honour on Bastille Day (July 14) in Paris in 2023. That honour was to convey France’s want to construct stronger all-round ties with India. It was an funding sooner or later in view of India’s rising financial system, its diplomatic prowess, and shared strategic pursuits within the Indo-Pacific specifically. Building extra frequent floor with India on local weather change points, which is a primary space of debate and concern in French society (Modi and Macron reaffirmed within the joint assertion their dedication to return ahead of their subsequent nationally decided contributions with bold targets, with France commending India’s provide to host COP 33 in 2028) is a crucial French goal. So is leveraging French capabilities to foster hyperlinks with growing Indian capabilities within the areas of defence, superior applied sciences and the digital area, utilizing India as a springboard for reaching out extra to the Global South, which is changing into extra vocal and demanding with regard to its pursuits within the hitherto west-dominated international system.

With India drawing nearer to the US and its Quad membership, France, which has main pursuits within the Indo-Pacific, seeks to carve out an unbiased position for itself and never let itself be subsumed beneath US-led buildings. This, to mark its attachment to “strategic autonomy”. In pursuing this, India is an apparent accomplice. For India too, a better strategic partnership with France within the Indo-Pacific is diplomatically essential because it conveys the message that safety considerations on this area are additionally shared by a serious European energy, and never US, Australia and Japan alone. In the joint assertion, the Indo-Pacific area’s significance for the respective sovereign and strategic pursuits of France and India has been emphasised.

The joint assertion says explicitly, “Defense and security partnership has been the cornerstone of the India-France partnership in the Indo-Pacific region”. This is significant, because the safety risk on this area emanates from China. In reality, in his banquet speech, Macron referred to the actions of “some hegemonic powers” within the Indo-Pacific. The two sides have additionally agreed to accentuate their cooperation within the Southwest Indian Ocean, constructing on the joint surveillance missions carried out from La Reunion in 2020 and 2022. Significantly, they plan to increase these interactions in India’s maritime neighbourhood to contribute positively to the securitisation of strategic sea lanes of communication. The two sides have additionally dedicated to revitalizing the trilateral cooperation with Australia, deepen the one with UAE, and discover new ones within the area. They have agreed to discover alternatives for coordinating financial initiatives and programmes within the Pacific, which marks an extension of India’s position within the Indo-Pacific.

The joint assertion notes that “since the declaration of the Strategic Partnership in 1998, India and France have developed a partnership of exceptional trust and confidence, consistency and strength”. The phrase “exceptional” is noteworthy. The references to “strategic autonomy” and “a shared commitment to a multipolar world” could appear predictable phrases, however they do convey the will of each side to train some independence on the strategic stage, consonant with their nationwide pursuits. Macron, as an example, is of the view that US coverage on Taiwan is needlessly provocative and that France doesn’t need to be a camp follower of the US in such questionable insurance policies. This implies that France understands India’s resolution to guard its strategic ties with Russia though France itself is more and more at loggerheads with Moscow over the Ukraine battle. The wording on the Ukraine battle within the joint assertion is cautious and doesn’t depart from the established Indian place.

The dedication to a multipolar world has been expressed by India and France over time. For France it means a world that’s not dominated fully by the US and one wherein Europe performs a strategic position, separate from the US primarily based by itself priorities and pursuits, even whether it is in partnership with the US when required. For India, multipolarity is crucial for international rebalancing, to attain UN, IMF and World Bank reforms, and for giving extra weight to growing international locations in worldwide governance. India joins the BRICS and the SCO is help of multipolarity with this goal. India, in fact, emphasises multipolarity in Asia as a vital step in the direction of a multipolar world.

The joint assertion affirms France’s help for India’s candidacy to the International Energy Agency. The two international locations have agreed to institute a Comprehensive Dialogue on Global Issues. The pressing want for the reform of the United Nations Security Council and the early graduation of text-based negotiations on the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) within the UN figures in joint assertion.

Macron has congratulated Modi for his management in launching the historic initiative of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) on the margins of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023. Modi has welcomed the appointment of President Macron’s Special Envoy for the mission, although this mission should be shelved in the intervening time in view of the battle in Gaza. While expressing solidarity with the individuals of Israel, the 2 have condemned the large lack of civilian lives within the ongoing battle, and emphasised the necessity to respect worldwide humanitarian legislation and to create situations, together with by means of a humanitarian ceasefire, for support to stream to the affected inhabitants within the Gaza area. Both leaders have reaffirmed {that a} political course of resulting in a two-state answer for the Israeli and Palestinian individuals is required for lasting peace and stability within the area, apart from expressing grave concern at the potential for additional growth of the battle within the area, together with within the Red Sea.

Defence has all the time been an important a part of India-France ties, going again to the Fifties. Cynics generally tend to say that France attire up its ties with India with the only real objective of promoting extra arms. This supposes that India has little company within the matter and is manipulated into shopping for French defence tools. The actuality is that India sees France as a beneficial defence accomplice, more and more prepared to switch know-how, one which has by no means utilized sanctions on India or hooked up situations to arms gross sales, apart from the truth that its defence merchandise are of top quality, although costly.

The joint assertion lauds the all-round progress in defence and safety partnership, which is seen as “a principal pillar of the partnership and a source of strengthening their countries’ sovereignty and strategic autonomy”. It extends from intelligence and knowledge change to workouts and tools and throughout all domains from the seabed to area. Macron and Modihave reiterated their dedication to additional deepening the combination between the 2 international locations’ respective defence industrial sectors and to work collectively to establish alternatives for co-design, co-development, co-production with the target of not solely fulfilling the defence wants of the Indian armed forces, but additionally of offering a viable and dependable supply of defence provides to different pleasant international locations.

Towards this finish, the 2 leaders welcomed the adoption of an bold Defence Industrial Roadmap. The precise content material of this roadmap has not been divulged, however it seems that it opens the door to bold collaborations in delicate areas. It contains plans so as to add MRO for Rafale engines, a complete helicopter partnership with a Joint Venture for IMRH engine between HAL and Safran, and the Scorpene submarines constructed in India, together with indigenisation. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) intend to conclude an Arrangement MoU in an early timeframe.

In area, the co-development, manufacture and launch of satellites and payloads, analysis in new launch automobile applied sciences and reusable launch automobiles and connecting the startups and customers in each international locations are envisaged. The MoU between NSIL and Arianespace is meant to construct a long-term partnership on satellite tv for pc launch missions. Modi and Macron have additionally welcomed the signing of the Letter of Intent on Defence Space Cooperation, which appears to have a really substantial navy content material.

On the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant Project, the problem of the very excessive unit price appears virtually intractable. The French facet needed some constructive transfer in the direction of implementation however India was reluctant to take a position extra funds in proposed mechanisms to that finish. Eventually, as a compromise language, it has been agreed to convene a particular process pressure on nuclear power inside three months within the framework of the Indo-French Strategic Dialogue. On the problem of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) the potential for cooperation exists as India wants to reinforce the capability of its personal indigenous SMRs.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with their shut cooperation by means of their collectively launched International Solar Alliance to help third international locations of their photo voltaic programmes. They welcomed the settlement to help creation of a Solar Academy in Senegal by means of joint analysis and improvement.

The resolution of Airbus in partnership with Tata Advanced System to start the meeting of civilian helicopters (H125) in India. They will turn into the primary non-public sector firm to supply helicopters in India, according to the technique of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Airbus can be inserting rising orders for plane elements in India for its meeting vegetation in Europe. Airlines in India have positioned large orders for Airbus planes. That Airbus builds planes in India as the corporate has executed in China is met with reservations by France, which has skilled China’s know-how theft.

In his assembly with choose Indian enterprise leaders, Macron pressed for Indian investments in France for which his authorities was contemplating laws much like the US Inflation Reduction Act. Indian firms may put money into French superior know-how firms however with out buying management. With the large database in India and human expertise out there there was nice scope of cooperation in AI. Macron was not absolutely conscious of the large investments being made in growing infrastructure in India and was eager that French firms take part on this sector.

Macron’s late night time go to to Dargah Nizamuddin Aulia earlier than his departure from India was meant to ship a message to constituencies again house in regards to the Muslim minority in India. That External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar accompanied him was diplomatic on our half.

(Kanwal Sibal was Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France, and Russia, and Deputy Chief Of Mission in Washington.)

Disclaimer: These are the private opinions of the writer.