France has always been supportive of India’s stance on Kashmir and has prevented China from playing any ‘procedural games’ at the United Nations Security Council, an advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
"When China breaks the rules, we have to be very robust and very clear and this is the sense of our naval presence in the Indian Ocean," Emmanuel Bonne, advisor to Macron said while delivering a talk on "France and India: Partners for a Stable and Prosperous Indo-Pacific", organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), on his visit to India for the annual strategic dialogue between France and India.
Bonne also said that France is also close to joining the naval QUAD which already consists of US, Japan, Australia and India. He also said that the French Navy is the only European Navy which patrols the Taiwan strait and may hold some naval exercise with the QUAD in future. But steered his statement away from any direct conflict by saying that it is not for confrontation but a way to assert the necessity to abide by international law.
"Let us not go for confrontation and I understand that it's much easier to say this from Paris than from Delhi when you almost have a problem in the Himalayas and when you have Pakistan at your border," Bonne said.
He emphasized that France has been clear with its stance on direct threats to India. Further taking questions about China, he said there is no ambiguity in its relations with Beijing.
"On direct threats to India, we have always been very clear. Whether it be on Kashmir, we have been very supportive of India in the Security Council, we have not let the Chinese play any kind of procedural games. When it comes to the Himalayas, just check our statements, we are perfectly clear. What we say publicly, we say to the Chinese also privately, there is no ambiguity," he added.
Talking about his conversation with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at the Strategic Dialogue earlier in the day, he said the discussion was about strategic opportunities as well as the bilateral defence and security relationship.
"In particular we are sharing information, we are manoeuvring together our navies, our air and space commandments are coordinating. We are building capacities and cooperating. When it comes to the Indian Ocean, we are working on maritime surveillance," he said.
The last edition of the strategic dialogue was held in February 2020 in Paris.
After the annual strategic dialogue between Paris and New Delhi, Bonne met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss wide-ranging bilateral as well as global issues.
"A Strategic Partnership that is emblematic of convergence of views! Mr Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of France called on PM @narendramodi and discussed wide-ranging bilateral and global issues," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted along with pictures of the meeting between PM Modi and Bonne.
