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France looks to firm up ties with India

Vaiju Naravane

While there is elation at India's desire to re-invest in the bilateral relationship, Paris is worried that New Delhi's rapprochement with Washington could diminish its own importance.

"IF YOU are making new friends, do not forget old ones." And, "It never does to put all your eggs in the same basket." Wise saws New Delhi appears to have kept in mind as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Paris en route to New York.

By publicly announcing the purchase of 43 Airbus aircraft from the European consortium in which France has a substantial stake, New Delhi has sent Paris a strong message: that India counts France as one of its major strategic partners; and that closer Indian ties with the United States do not preclude a sustained political, economic, and strategic relationship with France. Dr. Singh is also expected to announce the purchase of six Scorpene submarines from France during his visit to Paris, which interestingly comes at a time when U.S. Congressmen are threatening to call for a review of Washington's landmark civilian nuclear cooperation pact with New Delhi.

The French decided to pull out all stops for Dr. Singh's visit. It is an attempt by both sides to reinforce and further cement traditionally excellent ties that appeared, these past months, to have slipped into the doldrums.

Informed sources say India has driven a tough bargain, bringing down the price of the submarines as well as the planes. Airbus Industrie reduced the price tag for the civilian aircraft while Thales, DCN and Armaris, the constructors of the Scorpenes, agreed to absorb the extra costs run up by the delayed negotiations. Paris is clearly prepared to make that little extra effort to meet Indian demands.

Dr. Singh's visit takes place just days after an extremely successful exchange of views during the 14th edition of the Indo-French Strategic Dialogue on September 2. President Chirac's chief diplomatic adviser or sherpa, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne who led the talks on the French side is an old India hand as is Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. The two men do not hide their sympathies for India and France has clearly plumped for the country as one of its most reliable partners in the subcontinent.

India's National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan who led the delegation spent over an hour with President Jacques Chirac just before the latter was hospitalised for a mini stroke on September 2. Insiders say Mr. Chirac took a keen personal interest in the dossiers concerning the two countries. He reportedly told Mr. Narayanan he would be handling the details himself and that there was no need for the NSA to go calling on various Ministers!

While there is elation at India's desire to re-invest in the bilateral and strategic relationship, Paris is worried that New Delhi's rapprochement with Washington could diminish its own importance. Although France officially declined to comment, the U.S. State Department's remarks seeking clarification on India's stand on Iran's nuclear policy did not go unnoticed. U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos put it bluntly when he said the bold new Indo-U.S. strategic partnership "is predicated on reciprocity."

French officials are at pains to point out that France is not at all put out by the nuclear pact India signed with the U.S. France has been pushing for a similar special regime for India by the Nuclear Suppliers' Group on condition that it meets certain obligations that would align it with the non-proliferation regime (separating its civilian and military nuclear programmes, placing its civilian facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, and adhering to the Additional Protocol on civilian nuclear facilities). France has worked within the NSG to strengthen India's claims for special status. So the India-U.S. pact is seen as a source of hope since any relaxation in NSG rules would allow French companies such as Areva or Cogema to compete for contracts to build nuclear reactors in India.

"The question of course is also whether the Americans will get the permission of Congress? Will they be able to waive restrictions on the sale of civilian nuclear technology to India or is this just a delaying ploy aimed at putting a brake on India's energy cooperation with Iran? If the U.S. Congress says no, India will be deeply disappointed. If they say yes, the French will see this as a chance for them too. Of course it will be harder for the French to obtain those eventual contracts," Christophe Jaffrelot, Director of CERI (the French Institute for Studies in International Relations), told The Hindu.

French experts and political scientists, however, lose no opportunity to point out the unreliability of the U.S. as an ally. Even the French Ambassador to India Dominique Girard suggested a few months ago that the U.S. could not be considered a "reliable supplier" when it came to defence equipment or other sensitive technology. India's eagerness to forge ties with the U.S. has given rise to consternation here.

"There was hope here [in France] that the change in government in New Delhi would lead India towards greater multilateralism and distance it from the U.S. The reverse proved to be true. India has a definitely pro-American attitude and the deepening of Indo-U.S. ties is very significant. When you take into account everything that has happened these past 13 months, it is evident India has become not just a strategic partner with strong defence ties, but a technological partner as well," Mr. Jaffrelot said.

American logic in zeroing in on India as a strategic partner was not difficult to understand, Mr. Jaffrelot said. "India is the perfect counterweight to China. It is the laboratory where low priced brains continue to feed the U.S. economy. India is the U.S. policeman that patrols the Indian Ocean at a particularly crucial time and finally it's a strong stable partner while Pakistan is merely a tactical ally. The Americans fear Iran will come out of its isolation, which is why suddenly they have offered nuclear cooperation to India. On the other hand, what is more difficult to understand is India's logic in departing from multilateralism. As it turns out, America's offer of collaboration in the civilian nuclear field is conditional to support on its policy towards Iran. How India reacts will be an important test. National pride could win the day saying it is not for Washington to dictate terms. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this debate," Mr. Jaffrelot said.

India's profile rises

What is true of the Indo-French relationship is that it has come a long way in the past 15 years, especially in the way in which India is perceived in France. There was a time when Indian embassy officials despaired of seeing a single positive story on India in the news media. Now barely a day goes by without comment and news reports on India, not so much about its internal political situation as about its emerging economic prowess.

India has become a favourite destination of students wishing to do internships in international companies. The country's overall visibility in French minds has shot up despite the fact that business ties, although in progression, can hardly said to be flourishing when compared to other EU countries such as Britain or Germany. France comes 7th on the list of foreign investors and two-way trade between India and France totalled 3.36 billion Euros during the 12 months ended May 2005. The balance of trade remains in India's favour.

A great fillip was given to commercial ties with a flurry of contracts being signed recently, especially in the private sector. IndiGo, Spice and Kingfisher Airlines were the stars of the Paris Air Show, totalling up orders upwards of $12 billion for Airbus. Renault, Alcatel, Lafarge, Saint Gobain, and other companies have recently struck major deals to produce in India, both for an expanding local market as well as for exports.

But while there is scope for deeper and closer contacts in all fields — cultural, commercial, strategic — India is not unaware of France's limited role as a world power. French concerns about India have also been heightened by the fact that President Chirac has been weakened as a result of the French rejection of the European Constitution both within France and within Europe.

The Indians have become confident go-getters, while the French have withdrawn into themselves. Culturally too, France no longer speaks to Indian intellectuals the way it did when Bourdieu, Derrida, Sartre or Braudel strode the intellectual landscape. France is rudderless and no longer dynamic. And the next two years, until the 2007 presidential election, are going to be marked by political uncertainty, waiting, a dragging of the feet. France is worried about itself, which socio-economic model to follow, how to play the globalisation game without completely dismantling the welfare state? So the French have become hyper sensitive, tense and that is another factor that comes into play in bilateral ties.

"I'm afraid France would be harbouring illusions if it were to believe that India would be a serious multi-polar partner. Of course everyone talks about multilateralism and multi-polarity, but we all know these choices are guided by self-interest. The French, when they spoke of multi-polarity really believed they would be able to get a grand coalition around the idea. But the impossibility of reforming the UN shows us that multi-polarism is very badly off and there is a lag between France's multi-polar aspirations and reality, especially at a time when Europe is hardly a pole itself after the setback due to the French and the Dutch referenda against the EU Constitution," concludes Mr. Jaffrelot.

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