When French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in New Delhi on January 26, he will be the sixth French leader to attend India's 75th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.
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| French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit to Paris in July 2023. (Source: Reuters) |
Thus, since India initiated the practice of inviting chief guest to attend the Republic Day celebrations, from 1950 till now, France has topped the list of countries invited to the event marking the official entry into force of the Constitution. India welcomed the first chief guest from France, Jacques Chirac (1932-2019), in 1976 and the last time was Francois Hollande in 2016.
Mr. Emmanuel Macron's presence in the country of the Ganges is a "reciprocation" after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attendance at the French National Day celebrations in Paris in July 2023 and is even more meaningful as it takes place at a time when India and France celebrate 25 years of strategic partnership.
Strategic convergence
France was one of the first countries with which India signed a strategic partnership in the post-Cold War era (January 1998), six years earlier than the US.
Now, New Delhi and Paris also have many things in common in many hot issues of the world and the region, including the strategic view of a free and open Indo- Pacific along with close cooperation in economics, trade, security, defense, etc.
At multilateral forums, New Delhi and Paris share common views in efforts to promote multilateralism and multilateral institutions in a more representative and effective direction, which is also the bond that binds the two sides.
These commonalities were strongly expressed in the Joint Statement issued during Prime Minister Modi’s recent trip to Paris, which included “shared values, belief in sovereignty and strategic autonomy, an unwavering commitment to international law and the UN Charter, a firm belief in multilateralism and a common goal for a stable multipolar world.” Two months later, President Macron traveled to New Delhi for the G20 Summit and continued to review bilateral relations with the host leader Modi.
Over the past decades, India and France have continued to maintain cooperation in many strategic areas, from trade and economy to civil nuclear energy, defense and space…
Trade between the two countries increased by about 19% in 2022, reaching a value of 12 billion USD and the figure for 2023 was over 13 billion USD. This increase is said to come from France increasing imports of refined petroleum products from India after the conflict in Ukraine broke out. French direct investment in India amounts to over 11 billion USD, creating about 450,000 jobs. Paris is also paying much attention to promoting negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union (EU).
In particular, in the defense sector, New Delhi and Paris continue to be major partners. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in the 2018-2022 period, France was India's second largest arms supplier (after Russia). The two sides even have such a deep "bond" that Paris does not supply weapons to New Delhi's opponents. France is also an important partner in production, technology sharing and defense research of India. Following the success of the P-75 Kalvari submarine manufacturing program, India's Mazagon Dockyard Ltd and France's Naval Group signed an agreement to build 3 more Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy...
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| The sixth Scorpene-class submarine made in India under the design of Naval Group is set to be launched in April 2022. (Source: PTI) |
Expanding influence
In addition, New Delhi and Paris are expanding their relationship to shared geopolitical goals, including an interest in the island nations of the Indo-Pacific. In May 2023, Prime Minister Modi attended the third Forum for Indo-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit, while President Macron recently made visits to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and the territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia....
India and France also participate in the Indian Ocean Commission and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, which focus on non-traditional security, infrastructure and disaster relief operations, sustainable development and maritime security. The two countries adopted a Strategic Vision for the Indian Ocean, which includes an agreement on mutual access to military facilities and joint patrols.
Some analysts say that, from a similar perspective of strategic autonomy, both France and India strive to maintain a balanced relationship in the face of conflict and great power competition. New Delhi is considered to have skillfully balanced its relations with both the West and Russia on the Ukraine issue. With its growing status and balanced foreign policy stance, India is seen as the perfect partner for France to overcome the disadvantages of the current increasingly fierce geopolitical divide.
In the overall context of such warm relations, the Elysee chief guest's presence at the Republic Day celebrations of the world's most populous country reaffirmed the strong strategic ties between the two countries, especially in the field of Indo-Pacific security.
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