France and
India will seek to show a united front to tackle climate change when the their
leaders meet on Saturday with President Emmanuel Macron likely to underline
his country's stability in talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
his country's stability in talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi's
arrival in Paris comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision
to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement and at a time when uncertainty
in the European Union prevails following Britain's decision to leave the
28-nation bloc.
"Climate
will obviously be one of the first topics discussed. It's a personal commitment
from Modi so it's crucial that this engagement is reiterated in the current
context," said a senior French diplomat.
Modi, whose
country is the world's third-biggest emissions generator, said in Russia on
Friday that he would continue to back the deal. Macron's call on Thursday for
the accord's remaining 194 countries to fill the void left by the U.S. may see
the two sides push for greater cooperation.
"Trump's
decision is very bad news, but we have to move on with world's key actors,
starting with India," said the diplomat. "We need to show that we are
stable, not unpredictable and have convictions that we aren't afraid to stick
to."
Prior to the
visit Modi had already hailed Macron's victory over the far-right as an
opportunity to reinforce ties between the two countries almost 20 years after
agreeing in 1998 a strategic partnership.
"Within
a lot of uncertainty and instability where we don't know in which direction the
world's great powers are going, it's important to show that the relationship
between France and India is stable," said the diplomat.
Ties between
the two countries have grown in recent years most notably in the defense sector
with New Delhi ordering 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets to modernize its
aging warplane fleet.
The two are
also in talks over nuclear power and renewable energy deals, although the Paris
visit is not aimed at sealing contracts.
France's
foreign ministry says more than 1,000 French firms operate in India in sectors
ranging from defense to new technologies employing some 300,000 people.
"The
Indians had a vision of Europe over the last couple of years that was a bit
cataclysmic partly because of the crises we went through, Brexit and the
far-right wave.
"Brexit
especially traumatized them and there was a real worry that Europe would
explode so Macron's victory has provided a boost," the diplomat said.
Reuters
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