India, France agree on roadmap on blue economy

Navigating Ocean world

- India and France will coordinate their positions in multilateral bodies and negotiations to strengthen international law of the sea and adapt to new challenges

- The two sides plan to organise an annual bilateral dialogue on the blue economy and ocean governance to exchange views on their priorities, share their best practices

Paris: India and France have inked a roadmap to enhance their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and forge a common vision of ocean governance based on the rule of law and cooperate on sustainable and resilient coastal and waterways infrastructure.

The agreement was signed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's three-day visit to France which began on Sunday with bilateral talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. The roadmap scope will encompass maritime trade, the naval industry, fisheries, marine technology and scientific research, ocean observation, marine biodiversity, marine ecosystem-based management and integrated coastal management, marine eco-tourism, inland waterways, cooperation between competent administrations on civil maritime issues, marine spatial planning as well as international law of the sea and related multilateral negotiations. "India and France intend to make the blue economy a driver of progress of their respective societies while respecting the environment and coastal and marine biodiversity. Both countries aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, a space of freedom and trade, based on the rule of law," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

It said the two countries wish to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. The two sides called for a sustainable approach to fishing that would ensure decent living conditions to professionals of the sector, while conserving the resource in the medium and long terms.

"India and France nurture a high quality dialogue on maritime security, which enables them to raise strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific. This partnership marks a significant step-forward in India-France cooperation for maritime security," the ministry said. It said that India and France are also committed to promoting cooperation between the European Union and India on the blue economy and ocean governance, in the framework of the common roadmap "EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025" and the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

The two sides plan to organise an annual bilateral dialogue on the blue economy and ocean governance to exchange views on their priorities, share their best practices and support ongoing and future cooperation.