Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and Paris to discuss strategic and bilateral ties. Modi also met with the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden ahead of the second India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen.
Meeting with President Emmanuel Macron
A statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Modi met with Macron “in one-on-one and delegation-level formats.” Both leaders discussed a range of issues, including cooperation in the fields of defence, space, blue economy, nuclear energy, and cultural ties.
My visit to France was brief but a very fruitful one. President @EmmanuelMacron and I got the opportunity to discuss various subjects. I thank him and the French Government for the warm hospitality. pic.twitter.com/pJCCvpvjao
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 4, 2022
They also talked about regional and international issues, including the situation in Ukraine, and agreed to further strengthen the India-France Strategic Partnership.
Tonight, with @NarendraModi, we discussed the different ongoing international crises as well as our strategic partnership. We also talked about food security issues and the FARM initiative, in which India will play a key role. pic.twitter.com/KPOv1P6NZu
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 4, 2022
During the meeting, the pair stressed that the India-France partnership is “anchored on the solid bedrock of deep and consistent mutual trust, abiding faith in strategic autonomy, unwavering commitment to international law; and belief in a multipolar world shaped by reformed and effective multilateralism.”
Modi and Macron also agreed to further deepen cooperation and expand it to new domains to meet emerging challenges.
Indo-Pacific
The leaders affirmed their commitment to building a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. “They share a vision of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, based on commitment [to] international law, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, freedom of navigation and a region free from coercion, tensions and conflicts,” the MEA said in a separate statement.
#WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome from French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace in Paris
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2022
(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/D5PxknMfsK
Noting that the India-France partnership in the Indo-Pacific encompasses defence and security, trade, investment, connectivity, health, and sustainability ties, the duo stressed that their countries “will continue to develop new partnerships in various formats with like-minded countries in the region and within regional organisations.” In this respect, they said the first Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum held in Paris in February 2022 was the right step forward.
“India and France reaffirmed their commitment to deepen India-EU Strategic Partnership and look forward to closely working together in the implementation of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership,” the statement said.
Ukraine
Modi and Macron expressed “serious concern” at the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. “They unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to bring parties together to promote dialogue and diplomacy to find an immediate end to the suffering of the people,” the MEA said.
Landed in Paris. France is one of India’s strongest partners, with our nations cooperating in diverse areas. 🇮🇳 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/NCxsFFOgjX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 4, 2022
Moreover, both leaders said that their countries would work together to address the disruptions caused in the global food supply chain, as both Ukraine and Russia are major agricultural exporters.
Identical to the joint statements released after Modi’s meetings with the leaders of Denmark and Germany, France unilaterally “reiterated its strong condemnation of the unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine by Russian Forces” while India did not make any reference to Russia.
Afghanistan
Macron and Modi also briefly discussed the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as well. “India and France expressed serious concern on the humanitarian situation and violation of human rights and reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan, emphasizing respect for its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs,” the statement read.
The duo called on the Taliban to form an “inclusive and representative government” that respects the rights of all, especially women and minorities. In addition, they “emphasised zero tolerance for the use of Afghan territory for spreading terrorism in other parts of the world, and agreed to work together in this regard, including at the UN Security Council.”
Strategic Cooperation
The leaders welcomed their countries’ “intense cooperation” across all defence domains and said that joint military exercises “illustrate efforts towards better integration and interoperability wherever possible.”
They also stressed that maritime cooperation “has reached new levels of trust” and will continue through joint exercises and exchanges. The statement noted that India plans to continue cooperating with France in the field of technology transfer to manufacture submarines, in line with the ‘Make In India’ initiative.
Additionally, they stressed the need for cooperation in space. “India and France have agreed on setting up a bilateral strategic dialogue on space issues,” the joint statement read, noting that they have agreed to hold the first dialogue on space cooperation this year.
Both sides also agreed to bolster joint counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. “They strongly condemned all forms of terrorism including use of terrorist proxies and cross-border terrorism [and] reiterated their resolve to closely work together in the common fight against global terrorism including through combating the financing of terrorism, countering radicalization and violent extremism,” the document said.
Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Modi and Macron reiterated their commitment to tackling climate change by focusing more on sustainable development solutions. They agreed to work together to meet the objectives set in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change and intensify efforts in international fora like the International Solar Alliance, the G7, and the G20 to solve the problems posed by climate change.
Furthermore, India announced that France will be participating in the National Hydrogen Mission to foster cooperation on decarbonised hydrogen. They also agreed to fight plastic pollution and committed to “jointly promote the adoption of a strong and ambitious legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.”
Meeting with the leaders of Nordic Countries
Before his visit to Paris, Modi met with the leaders of Nordic countries before the commencement of the second India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen.
Modi discussed several key areas of cooperation between India and Nordic countries. During his meeting with Finland’s PM, Sanna Marin, Modi discussed “opportunities to expand cooperation in the fields of new and emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, future mobile technologies, clean technologies and smart grids.” He also invited Finnish companies to partner with Indian companies and “take advantage of the enormous opportunities that the Indian market presents, particularly in telecom.”
Today’s meeting with Finland @MarinSanna was very fruitful. There is immense potential in expanding the India-Finland digital partnership, trade partnership and investment linkages. We also discussed ways to deepen cultural ties between our nations. pic.twitter.com/INQIroAUQx
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 4, 2022
Modi also talked about cooperating in the sectors of geothermal energy, blue economy, Arctic, renewable energy, fisheries, food processing, education including digital universities, and culture with his counterparts from Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
Productive talks with PM Frederiksen, a business summit to discuss economic linkages, a vibrant community programme to further people-to-people linkages and a meeting with Denmark’s Royal Family…here are yesterday’s highlights. @Statsmin pic.twitter.com/PFHOn3Hvd7
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 4, 2022
Second India-Nordic Summit
The Summit focused on bolstering bilateral ties between Indian and Nordic countries, particularly regarding “multilateral cooperation in post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, sustainable development, innovation, digitalization, and green and clean growth.”
The India-Nordic Summit will go a long way in boosting India’s ties with the region. Together, there is much that our nations can achieve and contribute to global prosperity and sustainable development. pic.twitter.com/zNyiqrJFe3
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 4, 2022
“India’s partnership with the Nordic region in the Arctic Region was discussed. Prime Minister noted that India’s Arctic Policy provides a good framework for the expansion of India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region,” the statement said.
The first India-Nordic Summit was held in Stockholm in 2018.