The Foreign Ministers of France, India, and the UAE on Saturday had a phone call conversation to discuss a plan for the implementation of the initiative to form a formal trilateral cooperation initiative with the goal of expanding cooperation in various fields of mutual interest, in recognition of their shared desire to promote international stability and prosperity, and to strengthen the three countries’ constructive and collaborative ties, as per the official joint statement released by the government of the three countries.
Last September, the foreign ministers of India, France, and the United Arab Emirates formed a trilateral strategy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. They agreed to develop a broader group relationship because they already had strong bilateral ties. India and France are involved in a similar effort to develop a common agenda with Australia.
The three sides agreed during the call that the trilateral initiative will serve as a forum to promote the design and implementation of cooperation projects in the fields of energy, with a focus on solar and nuclear energy, as well as climate change and biodiversity protection, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. To that purpose, the three countries plan to work with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) on real-world projects in sustainable energy, the environment, and biodiversity, the statement said.
It was also said that the trilateral effort will serve as a forum for the development agencies of the three countries to engage in long-term projects. Furthermore, the three countries agreed to collaborate to ensure that their respective economic, technological, and social policies are more in line with the Paris Agreement’s objectives, as per the statement.
According to the statement, a series of trilateral events will be hosted in support of these efforts during India’s G20 presidency and the UAE’s hosting of COP-28 in 2023, respectively. The three countries also agreed to expand their collaboration through initiatives such as the UAE-led Mangrove Alliance for Climate and the India-led Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership. The three countries decided to focus on important issues such as single-use plastic pollution, desertification, and food security as part of the International Year of Millets-2023. The three parties also indicated a strong desire to work together on circular economy projects through India’s Mission LiFE.
It was decided that defence is an area where the three countries should collaborate closely. As a result, efforts will be made to promote compatibility, joint development, and co-production, as well as to investigate options for further collaboration and training among the three countries’ defence forces, the statement read.
As per the statement, the three countries will also strive to promote exchanges of ideas on new infectious disease threats and pandemic response approaches. In this area, collaboration with multilateral organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi-the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, and Unitaid would be encouraged. Furthermore, the three countries would seek genuine cooperation in the implementation of the “One Health” strategy, as well as help developing countries establish local capacity in biomedical research and production.
As countries are at the cutting edge of technological innovation, efforts to enhance trilateral cooperation among relevant academic and research institutions, as well as co-innovation projects, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship, will be promoted. Trilateral seminars and discussions will be held on the sidelines of high-level technology events such as Vivatech, Bengaluru Tech Summit, and GITEX to facilitate such collaboration, the statement added further.
Finally, in recognition of the critical role that social and human bonds play in their constructive partnership, France, India, and the UAE will ensure that this trilateral initiative is leveraged as a platform to promote cultural cooperation, including heritage promotion and protection, through a variety of joint projects, the statement said.