Space, cyberspace and UNSC seat: France ticks all the boxes for India
We consider India as positive and trust it for exemplary dependency. France will support India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations, says Emmanuel Lenain, ambassador of France
Besides defence and anti-terrorism, cyberspace and military co-operation are the major focus areas between India and France, Emmanuel Lenain, ambassador of France, said on Tuesday.
Post-induction of the Rafale aircraft into the Indian Air Force, the ambassador said that strong strategic cooperation, military to military, exist between the two nations and areas like space cooperation, launching a satellite for climate observations, for example, will be a part of the future partnership strategy for the two nations.
Lenain was speaking, via video-conference, on ‘Strategic Autonomy: A driver of French–Indian relations in the times of changing geopolitics’, at the launch of the ‘Ambassador Speaks’ series by the Pune International Centre.
Referring to the emerging global security landscape, Lenain said, “This year has been an eye opener for Europe. The world is becoming dangerous and the world has powers that do not want to play by the rules. We consider India as positive and trust it for exemplary dependency. France will support India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations.”
Lenain said that both, France and India, have a strong bilateral relationship and the Covid crisis, which he called a “medical emergency”, has seen both nations do their level best to mitigate the crisis.
As to a post-Covid world, Lenain said “The world will be a challenging place laced with unprecedented consequences. The crisis has exacerbated the problems further. Biodiversity, global terrorism, cyber threats are faced by the world and there is a need for corrective action.
“During the pandemic situation, more cooperation is needed. A global strategy is needed to tackle emerging health issues and subsequent crises.”
Former foreign secretary, Vijay Gokhale, chaired the session, while director general of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), Prashant Girbane moderated the question-answer session.