Indo-French Cooperation and Engagement in Holistic Maritime Security: Possibilities and Implications in the Indian Ocean Region

Abstract

The diffusion of the Indo-Pacific concept in India’s strategic vocabulary has accompanied the emergence of a broader strategic reference frame, in which the impacts of climate change on coastal areas and maritime-related environmental issues figure among the lowest common denominators of cooperation at the regional scale. In the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), unregulated fishing, natural disasters relief or marine pollution indeed became major security concerns for littoral States as well as it gave a new role for the armies in mitigating increasing environmental risks. In fact, we are seeing an expansion in India-France maritime security cooperation, with particular focus on the Indian Ocean. With its expanding economic, marine military, and strategic goals in the Indo-Pacific region, India is eager to develop connections with countries throughout the area. France is emphasising its identity as an Indo-Pacific nation and showing interest in bolstering its partnership with India. The Indian Ocean has emerged as a hot topic in recent Indo-French bilateral talks, as both nations seek to broaden their long-standing strategic partnership to the maritime domain. In February 2022, they inked a roadmap to boost their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and forge a common vision of ocean governance on the basis of the rule of law, and cooperation on sustainable and resilient coastal and waterways infrastructure (MEA, Feb 2022).[i] In this regard, both agreed to explore the potential for collaboration in marine science research for a better understanding of the oceans, including the Indian Ocean. One such partnership is the ‘The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative’ (IPOI), wherein France and India have taken the responsibility of being the ‘lead’ for the Marine Resources Pillar, which is one of seven identified pillars (MEA, Mar 2022).[ii] In such a context, this paper aims to explore India’s cooperation opportunities in the field of environmental security in the IOR in the context of Indo-French relations. As a preferred net security provider in the region, India has made of France one of the cornerstones of its SAGAR policy and a first-choice partner on maritime issues, as testified recently by the India-France Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance. Based on several years of research on Indo-French relations and environmental security in the Indo-Pacific, the paper will first compare the securitization process of maritime-related environmental issues within the regional security policies of both countries and the adaptation of their navies to emerging environmental risks in the Indian Ocean. Then, it will analyse to what extent this process contributes to reshape military-to-military cooperation between the two navies/coast guard in emerging areas such as disaster relief operations, protection of maritime ecosystems or cyclone early warning. Then, it will consider the multilateral implications of this cooperation and its potential contribution to the security architecture of the Indian Ocean. [i] Ministry of External Affairs of India (February 2022). India-France Roadmap on the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance. [ii] Ministry of External Affairs of India (March 2022). Indo-French Call for an ‘Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership. Joint Declaration, Paris.