India, France to extend cooperation in Pacific region with inclusion of French Polynesia, New Caledonia

New Delhi: 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.