France taps India and Indonesia for ‘true’ partnerships after Aukus debacle
- Emmanuel Macron and Indonesia’sJoko Widodo ‘decided to work on a true strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific’, said France’s Élysée Palace
- France and India found ‘a great convergence … on the guiding principles of our actions in the Indo-Pacific: trust, independence and unity’, France said
Emmanuel Macron on Saturday sought to strengthen ties with India and Indonesia, France’s presidency said, after Paris was locked out of a defence pact between the US, UK and Australia.
Since losing a major submarine deal with Canberra, which joined the so-called Aukus alliance to better counter China, France has sought solace in leading Asian nations for deeper strategic ties in the Pacific region.
On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome, Macron first met his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, followed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on the growing economic clout of the region and the rivalry between the United States and China.
“There was a common willingness to go further with the Indo-Pacific strategy,” the French side said after talks with Modi. A follow-up meeting would take place next week to flesh out a joint agenda.
France and India, which first defined an Indo-Pacific strategy in 2018, found “a great convergence … on the guiding principles of our actions in the Indo-Pacific: trust, independence and unity”, the presidency said.
