Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, where both the leaders discussed a wide range of issues. According to the Prime Minister Office (PMO), PM Narendra Modi conveyed his condolences for the terror attacks in France and reiterated India’s full support to France in the fight against terrorism, extremism, and radicalism.
During the conversation, PM Modi also expressed his satisfaction at depth & strength that India-France Strategic Partnership has acquired in recent years &agreed to continue working together in the post-COVID era. He also expressed his wish to welcome Pres Macron in India after normalisation of the public-health situation.
The two leaders also discussed other bilateral, regional & global issues of mutual interest, including improving affordability & accessibility of COVID19 vaccines, post-COVID economic recovery, cooperation in Indo-Pacific region, maritime security, defense cooperation& climate change.
In November, the Indian Ambassador’s Group had said that that the brutal terrorist attacks in France by Islamic fundamentalists have implications for all democratic countries based on pluralism and rule of law and India stands with Paris at “this difficult moment” and fully supports the French Government on this issue.
A statement signed by 22 former Indian ambassadors said India has rightly expressed solidarity with the French president personally and France as a country with which bilateral ties have remarkably deepened strategically in recent years.
They said India has been a victim of state-sponsored terrorism for decades and is especially sensitive to issues of terrorism.
It said that France, because of its history, is deeply wedded to freedom of expression and France’s Muslim population “has a very different perspective of the relationship between the State and religion as well as on freedom of expression”.
“The moot point to consider is whether religious justice can be meted out unilaterally without due process by individual in a constitutional democracy in accordance with a belief system that has no place in local jurisprudence?” the statement said.
The group said that under Prime Minister Modi, India has inscribed the issue of international terrorism as a threat to international peace and security on the international and multilateral agenda.
“It is important to note that there is an international consensus reflected repeatedly in documents that no cause whatsoever justifies resort to terrorism. In this context demonstrations in India against France and President Macron are contrary to that international consensus, government’s position and the excellent bilateral relations between India and France. India stands with France at this difficult moment and fully supports the Government of France on this issue,” the statement said.
The signatories of the statement are: Ajay Swarup, Ajit Kumar, Amar Sinha, Anil K. Trigunayat, Ashok Kumar, Bhaswati Mukherjee, JS Sapra, Kanwal Sibal, Laxmi Puri, Mohan Kumar, OP Gupta, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Prakash Shah, Ruchi Ghanshyam, Satish Chand Mehta, Shashank, Shyamla B. Cowshik, Suresh Kumar Goel, Veena Sikri, Vidya Sagar Verma, Virender Gupta and Yogesh Gupta.
(With agency input)