Class Notes 4 You

Intro: India and France are middle powers trying to reorient their foreign policies with respect to current flux in world order Context: The only western country to not criticize India post Pokhran tests and first western country to establish strategic partnership with India cooperation: Vigorously backed India's decision wrt J&K at UNSC, France became the first country to have a Liaison Officer at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC-IOR). France also joined Indo pacific oceans initiative India France Australia trilateral naval exercises and ministerial dialogue affirm commitment for free open and inclusive Indo pacific and a rules based order in the region with ASEAN centrality It is also the first European country to launch an Indo pacific strategy  More than 1000 french establishments already present in India with a total turnover of $US 20 B and employing around 300000 persons India’s second largest arms supplier with one fifth of supply from 2016-20(SIPRI) Fra...

Areas of cooperation   Political/foreign relations : France is India’s reliable partner on issues relating to terrorism and Kashmir. France supports India’s for a seat as a permanent member of the UNSC  and multilateral export control regimes (accession to MTCR in June 2016, Wassenaar Arrangement in 2017, the Australia Group in January 2018). at multilateral bodies: India support to France’s candidacy at the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA); France’s chairing of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in 2020 Space joint mission of India’s Oceansat-3 satellite, Trishna satellite for thermal infrared imaging. inter-planetary missions to Mars and Venus.   Joint Vision for Space Cooperation, 2018 constellation of micro-satellites for maritime surveillance. CNES ISRO for training programmes and bioastronautics for a human space flight- (Gaganyaan) by 2022.   Defence relations France contribute to the “Make in India” programme in the defence sector.   The firs...