IANS | 17 Jul, 2023
As long-standing strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific, both India
and France have decided to give the utmost attention and extend their
cooperation to the Pacific, with the close involvement of the French
territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
The French
overseas territories in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, will play an
important role in the Indo-Pacific partnership between the two
countries.
This was announced in a joint statement by both the
nations, which was released after culmination of bilateral talks between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on
July 14.
Modi was in France during July 13-14.
Titled
"Horizon 2047: 25th Anniversary of the India-France Strategic
Partnership, Towards A Century of India-France Relations" the joint
statement further said that both India and France are determined to
strengthen the cooperation initiated under the Joint Strategic Vision of
India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region adopted in 2018 and
have therefore adopted a new Indo-Pacific Roadmap.
"They are
committed to work together to secure their own economic and security
interests; ensure equal and free access to global commons, build
partnerships of prosperity and sustainability in the region thanks to
common development action, advance the rule of international law, work
with others in the region and beyond and build a balanced and stable
order in the region, with respect for sovereignty and territorial
integrity," the statement added.
It further said that through a
unique model of Triangular Development Cooperation, India and France
will work on setting up the Indo-Pacific Triangular Cooperation (IPTDC)
Fund aimed at supporting climate and SDG focused innovations and
Start-ups from third countries of the Indo-Pacific, with the goal of
facilitating the scaling up of green technologies being developed in the
region.
"Both countries will jointly identify the projects to be
supported through the IPTDC Fund. This initiative would be a
significant step ahead in providing viable and transparent funding
alternatives to innovators in the Indo-Pacific region and would also be a
key pillar of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership launched in 2021,"
the statement said.
Trilateral cooperation with like-minded
partners in the region will be a key pillar of cooperation in the
Indo-Pacific region, in particular through dialogue which was launched
with the United Arab Emirates, a strategic partner for both countries,
on February 4, 2023 at ministerial level, as well as with Australia,
launched in September 2020.
