In the midst of the geopolitical unrest brought on by the conflict in Ukraine, India, France, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have announced an ambitious roadmap for cooperation in a wide range of fields, including defence, energy, and technology under a trilateral framework.
- The trilateral initiative will act as a forum to encourage the creation and implementation of joint projects in the energy sector, with a focus on solar and nuclear energy.
This trilateral framework proposal was finalised over the phone call between India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar, and his counterparts, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE and Catherine Colonna of France.
Backdrop
The three ministers met for the first time in a trilateral format on September 20, 2022, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States America (USA).
- The ministers agreed during the meeting to launch a formal trilateral cooperation initiative with the aim of expanding cooperation in various fields of mutual interest.
Priority Areas Agreed Upon by The Parties of the Trilateral Framework
i.The three countries—India, France, and the UAE—acknowledged that defence is an area of close cooperation.
ii.India, France, and the UAE also decided to intensify their cooperation in the areas of food security and the circular economy.
iii.The trilateral initiative will serve as a forum for the three countries’ development agencies to collaborate on sustainable projects.
- Additionally, it would ensure that the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement are aligned with each country’s economic, technological, and social policies.
iv.To combat climate change and protect biodiversity, particularly in the Indian Ocean region (IOR), the three countries will consider the prospect of cooperating with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to pursue concrete, actionable projects on clean energy, the environment, and biodiversity.
Proposed Actions to Support the Framework
i.A number of trilateral events will be organized to assist the efforts during the G20 Presidency of India and the hosting of 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by the UAE in 2023, respectively.
ii.The three nations also decided to enhance their cooperation through projects like the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership, headed by India & France, and the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC), led by the UAE.
iii.The three countries have decided to cooperate to boost food security in the context of the International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023, the circular economy under the aegis of India’s Mission LiFE(Lifestyle for the Environment), and focus on key issues such as single-use plastic pollution and desertification.
iv.The three countries will also work to improve exchanges of ideas on new infectious disease threats and pandemic preparedness.
- Multilateral organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi—the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, and Unitaid will be encouraged to collaborate in this aspect.
v.Furthermore, the three countries will explore tangible cooperation in the implementation of the “One Health” approach, as well as assist the development of local capacities in biomedical innovation and production within developing countries.
Recent Related News:
i.India and Finland have signed a joint declaration of Intent On Migration and Mobility in order to reach a mutually beneficial agreement on migration and mobility.
ii.The Joint Declaration was signed by Union Minister of State (MoS) V. Muraleedharan, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GoI), and Tuula Haatainen, Finland’s Minister of Employment.
About the United Arab Emirates (UAE):
President – Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital – Abu Dhabi city
Currency – Arab Emirati Dirham (AED) [called Dirhams]
