The historical diplomatic bond between France and Sri Lanka holds great significance, resonating with France’s strategy in the Indian Ocean and its steadfast commitment to the wider Indo-Pacific region.
In a discussion with a group of journalists in Colombo last week French Ambassador for the Indo-Pacific and French Indo-Pacific Strategy, Marc Abensour said that Sri Lanka is a partner of growing importance for France in their approach to the Indo-Pacific region and France remains very much engaged in the region.
“It was well reflected last year with the French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to many countries across the Indo-Pacific, including Sri Lanka,” he said.
Abensour was in Sri Lanka on a three-day visit.
“As a country of the Indian Ocean, it is important for us to further engage with Sri Lanka. This engagement is also a result of our converging approaches towards the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
He said that both France and Sri Lanka share a common approach, which aims to prevent the division of the world. Both countries advocate for greater inclusivity having understood the importance of reducing tensions, avoiding escalation, and steering clear of confrontational approaches that could lead to increased bipolarisation, the Ambassador said.
In an effort to strengthen maritime security, the ambassador said that Sri Lanka and France are in the final stages of establishing a maritime training school under the Kotelawala Defence University, with a branch in Trincomalee.
He commended Sri Lanka’s Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, for his invaluable efforts in advancing this initiative.
The Ambassador also emphasised France’s unwavering commitment to the region amidst ongoing global crises in Ukraine and the Middle East. He underscored France’s dedication to its partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, reaffirming the country’s continued focus and engagement in this pivotal area.
“We are also very much engaged in the region because France is a resident nation in the Indo-Pacific owing to our territories in the South Pacific such as French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and in the Indian Ocean, French Southern and Antarctic territories.”
The Indian Ocean holds immense significance for France, with over 1.2 million inhabitants and 30 percent of French Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) within its boundaries, he said.
The Ambassador said that France’s contribution to regional stability extends through its permanent military presence in the Indian Ocean. The country has military personnel stationed in La Réunion and Mayotte, as well as military bases in Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates.
NATO member
Responding to a question from the Sunday Observer regarding the increasing interest in the region driven by China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the US Indo-Pacific strategy, he said that France maintains a clear and close alliance with the United States, being a NATO member and boasting a longstanding partnership with the U.S.
He said numerous opportunities for joint initiatives and cooperation across the Indo-Pacific. This stance underscores France’s close relationship with the U.S. while also advocating for continued engagement with China.
“We, at the same time, don’t think that there is any equidistance between Washington and Beijing,” he said.
France advocates for what President Macron termed a “demanding dialogue” with China, aiming to address areas of disagreement while also collaborating on key issues such as combatting climate change and addressing the debt crisis, Abensour said.
French Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Jean-François Pactet and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France to Sri Lanka, and the Maldives Marie-Noëlle Duris too were present.
France is the only EU member state with territories in the Indo-Pacific, including La Réunion and Mayotte, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia, as well as Wallis and Futuna, along with the French Southern and Antarctic Territories.
