French Vice-Admiral Christophe Lucas on Wednesday visited Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) to collaborate and cooperate with partners, especially with India, towards enhancing maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region.
"Vice Admiral Christophe Lucas, Head of Foreign Relations (French Navy) visited #IFCIOR and was briefed on the collaborative efforts of the Centre towards enhancing maritime safety and security in #IOR," tweeted IFC-IOR.
France was the first foreign partner of India to post a liaison officer at IFC-IOR.
"Our two nations are sharing more and more real-time, sensitive information on #maritime awareness in the Indian Ocean Region," tweeted Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India.
Recently, at the India-France strategic dialogue, both countries resolved to expand the defence and security partnership by enhancing intelligence sharing, bolstering capabilities, expanding military drills and pursuing new initiatives in maritime, space and cyber domains in the light of Chinese assertiveness in the Indian Ocean.
Moreover, India is helping in capacity building to assist the littoral states of IOR.
France has also stressed its continuing commitment to the Indo-Pacific region as a "resident power", and partnership with India as a "major pillar" of its strategy for the region.
Moreover, the French Presidency of the European Union (EU) in the first half of 2022 is expected to give a further shape to the EU's engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
A resident power is one that does not own territory or have a territorial presence in a particular region of the world but is nevertheless a force to be reckoned with in the international politics of that region.
France also needs to protect its colonial territorial possessions like Reunion Island and the Indian Ocean being the zone of influence for India.
Recently, France became the 23rd member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
It is the first time that a country whose mainland is not on the Indian Ocean has been brought into the fold of the IORA.
( With inputs from ANI )
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