The Hindu : India, Pak. must resume dialogue: Villepin

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 28, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

India, Pak. must resume dialogue: Villepin

By K.K. Katyal

The elections (in Jammu and Kashmir) mark an important stage in the return to stability. We condemn the acts of violence: not only are they an obstacle to the resumption of dialogue, they are an assault on the principles of freedom and democracy.

PARIS Sept. 27. The French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, is an old India hand — he was in his country's embassy in New Delhi in the early nineties and is, thus, familiar with men and matters there. He had been — and is — a top aide of the French President, Jacques Chirac. These two attributes lent significance to his responses to my queries on a wide range of issues. Apart from the latest phase of the Iraq crisis (as reported yesterday), on which he spoke with passion and a strong sense of conviction during an exclusive interview in his office here, he dealt with the developments in South Asia and prospects of bilateral cooperation. As he saw it, it was for India and Pakistan to resolve their problems, though the international community had a legitimate interest in the quest for stability in the region. The only way out, according to him, was through resumption of dialogue in the spirit of the Shimla and Lahore agreements. France, he said, strongly condemned all acts of terrorism, whatever their nature.

As for Iraq, he spoke of the French Government's keenness for decisions within the framework of the United Nations. India and France had identical views on this issue, he said, recalling his meeting over lunch in New York earlier this month with his counterpart, Yashwant Sinha, with whom he had been in telephonic contact. (As he spoke to me, his staff were trying for a long-distance call to New Delhi.) France, he explained, had been in continuous touch with Russia and China (its Prime Minister was currently here and, needless to say, the main subject of discussions was Iraq). He expected the consultations at the U.N. to intensify in the days to come.

The following are excerpts from the interview:

K.K. Katyal: President Chirac's visit in January 1998 marked a milestone in Franco-Indian relations. What is the outlook today?

Dominique de Villepin: President Jacques Chirac's State visit in January 1998 gave a fresh impetus to Franco-Indian relations in all areas of cooperation and it was followed up by a spate of ministerial visits on both sides.

Several cooperative bodies were established on that occasion, and they are still at work. The Indo-French Forum, for example, due to meet in November of this year in India, is enabling our two civil societies to learn more about each other.

Strategic dialogue amongst ourselves, meanwhile, is building mutual understanding and allows us to exchange views on political and diplomatic issues. These bodies are producing concrete proposals, which we are resolved to act upon. Our technical exchanges in the field of nuclear safety are a good illustration of this.

I made a particular point of visiting India on my first trip to Asia on August 2 this year. This was an opportunity for me to re-visit a country for which I have felt a very special affection ever since my years on station there.

The purpose of my visit was clear, namely to bolster cooperation with your country in the coming months, in the economic and commercial spheres, as well as in the fields of culture, science and technology. I was thus able to appreciate the quality of the dialogue that has grown up between France and India, reaching well beyond purely inter-State relations.

India continues to fascinate France, inspired by past contacts and a mutual desire for learning and sharing. The popularity of Indian films such as Lagaan and Monsoon Wedding in France, the many French tourists who visit India, and the growing taste for Indian music, are all evidence of this evergreen interest.

The Minister with responsibility for Research and New Technology is due to visit India in the next few months. Also, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin will be travelling to your country early next year to launch the ``French Season in India''. This major event emphasises the density of the bonds between our two countries and the variety of the joint projects we are currently pursuing.

The early-90s saw a cooling of bilateral relations. What can we do to prevent a recurrence of that?

It is only natural that two great powers such as India and France, with their longstanding relations, should go through periods of apparently less intense cooperation.

But one has to look the long view. The ties that bind us have their roots in a centuries-old dialogue between our two cultures, and this creates a solid basis for launching new initiatives.

Look at the projects launched, or due to be launched on the occasion of the ``French Season in India": they cover every area, from culture to science, from high technology to education. And they are destined to go on developing year after year.

How do you see the future of cooperation between our two countries?

Our relations with India are expanding in a wide variety of areas. I take that as a sign of the wealth of our cooperation and the diversity of our interests.

I mentioned strategic dialogue earlier. These regular exchanges of views between two great States transcend the framework of purely bilateral relations: they are contributing significantly to the strengthening of stability in the world.

Education and culture are another priority. We are making a special effort to increase the number of scholarships and fellowships for Indian students and researchers, and to make information about centres of excellence within the French university system widely available.

Exchanges between artists, too, will be facilitated via a residential programme for Indian and French artists, entitled Le Voyage. Lastly, we intend to enhance our cooperation in the fields of applied and industrial research through joint research laboratories...

What can be done to further the idea of a multipolar world?

France and India are two great powers which play an important role on the world stage, and they can both help to forge new strategic balances. Our two countries are concerned to build a world with a greater sense of solidarity, respectful of international law and attentive to the new social and environmental challenges.

This convergence of views is already being translated into practical projects. In the field of the environment, for example, France and India are actively working for implementation of the Kyoto protocol. The forthcoming Conference of the Parties in Delhi from October 23 to 30 this year, underlines India's involvement in this issue. France stands shoulder to shoulder with it.

How can we strengthen our security and develop the means to combat terrorism?

Every state has a duty to fight terrorism. And they should do so with determination and resolve, for the threat is unprecedented in its nature and its extent. Let there be no doubt, these people operating in the shadows, these fanatics who mingle backward ideologies with the latest in communications networks, have thrown down a challenge we cannot ignore.

This is a battle France has been waging for many years, and we are prosecuting it relentlessly. We strongly condemn all acts of terrorism, whatever their nature. We have done so following the loathsome attack on the Hindu temple in Gujarat, on September 24.

Obviously, this calls for greater cooperation among the various agencies concerned. India and France have established a joint task force on this major issue, which met for the third time in Paris, in September this year. This is a good illustration of Franco-Indian partnership in this area.

What is your view of developments in South Asia?

South Asia lies at the heart of our present concerns. We are closely watching events there, and especially the elections.

As I said several times during my visit to Delhi on August 2, there is no such thing as a self-contained crisis, nowadays. Tensions between India and Pakistan could affect all the major strategic equilibria. So France and the international community have a legitimate interest in the quest for stability in this region.

However, as I told the people I met in New Delhi and Islamabad, the solution to this ancient, complex conflict lies in India and Pakistan first and foremost.

The only way out lies through a resumption of dialogue, in the spirit of the Shimla and Lahore agreements. By going down that road, the two countries would demonstrate their sense of responsibility and concern for regional stability. They would foster a spirit of cooperation conducive to the development of business, trade and cultural relations.

France had no difficulty in coming to terms with a nuclear India but it has not been possible for the two countries to cooperate in the installation of nuclear power plants? What are the prospects in this regard?

France considers India to be a responsible power. I must stress that in 1998 we held out against sanctioning your country, and that this principle of trust has consistently guided our approach.

As you know, this type of export is governed by international rules which France respects very scrupulously. It is within this framework — in response to India's particular circumstances and in the spirit of friendship that binds our two countries — that France is cooperating in the field of nuclear safety. We hope to go on expanding this dimension of our relationship, consistent with our international commitments.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

Stories in this Section

Farm support in a drought year

Towards social partnership

On the brink of global deflation

Striving for social justice

Sonia Gandhi: the best bet

India, Pak. must resume dialogue: Villepin

Shed the `soft' image

Frequent bandhs

Statesmanship needed

Real service