French Defence Minister Florence Parly and her Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh held wide-ranging talks on Friday wherein India told France that it has the "political will and capacity" to counter any misadventure by China on its land borders. The third Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) between India and France was held in New Delhi and both Rajnath Singh and Florence Parley held a wide range of discussions on bilateral, regional, defence and defence industrial cooperation issues. Parley also said China plays an important role in the fight against climate change and France has noticed China's growing aggression over the South China Sea. She made these remarks during a virtual think tank session on India-France cooperation.
Key Points:
1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had conveyed India’s firm stance against China's aggressive approach in eastern Ladakh and the violation of multiple bilateral agreements, TOI reported quoting its sources. The defence minister also raised issues related to the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, the Afghanistan crisis and the growing threat of terrorism among these regions, the report added.
2. “The India-France strategic partnership is more relevant today than ever before. A wide range of bilateral, regional and defence-industrial cooperation issues were discussed in the ADD,” Rajnath Singh said.
3. Earlier at the think tank session on Friday, Parly said that China is also a partner for trade and commerce but France had also noticed that Beijing is getting more and more aggressive in the region, especially in the South China Sea.
4. Florence Parley also met PM Narendra Modi and NSA Ajit Doval and said that France shares the same views with India on the Indo-Pacific region. She said that France believes that maritime lanes must remain free and open. The Indo-Pacific should have freedom of navigation and trade for all without any “coercion”, she added.
5. "Terror has struck France and Europe repeatedly over the last few years and has not spared the Indo Pacific, including India. This fight is not over and will continue for many years to come… this threat needs to be addressed in a comprehensive manner, from the Levant to Africa,” Parley further said.
