The partnership between France and India has developed into one for the planet, according to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, and Paris is now looking to forge new alliances with India in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
“Our partnership with India has grown and become a partnership for the planet. We are now seeking to build new solidarities with India in the Indian Ocean and in the Pacific,” the French Foreign Minister said at the annual French Ambassadors Conference.
She said the strength of the India-France strategic partnership was vividly illustrated on July 14 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris.
“We will therefore continue to build and consolidate new partnerships based on solidarity in the years to come. Particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where our diplomacy is asserting itself in the service of our sovereign interests, respecting the rule of law, rejecting dependence and alignment, but without ambiguity about our alliances, and therefore without equidistance,” she said.
During his historic visit to France in July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor from President Emmanuel Macron. In military or civilian orders, it is France’s highest honor. Prime Minister Modi became the country’s first recipient of the honor. At the Elysee Palace, he was welcomed by Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, and President Macron.