The Indo-EU summit on September 29 at Marseille and the Indo-French summit at Paris on September 30 were occasions for India to send a message to Europe, and bilaterally to a major European country, that India’s redefinition of its global strategy is not primarily centered on US and that it reserves a prominent place for Europe in it.

An impression has grown that India’s political class, its international relations experts and its media are heavily preoccupied with ties with US and give inadequate attention to other relationships. Pakistan and China get attention no doubt, but focused largely on contentious issues with them. In terms of future strategic options, India’s rise as a global power and its access to high technology etc, the focus is on US.

Changing Equations with the US

To some extent this fascination with a transformed relationship with US is understandable. India can benefit greatly from a close relationship with the world’s strongest power, especially in the background of troubled ties over decades that prevented us from leveraging US strengths to our advantage. On core issues, US policies in the past have actually caused us great harm, whether on Kashmir, relations with Pakistan, nuclear and missile questions, denial of technologies, human rights issues, permanent membership of the UN Security Council etc. Today, on most of these issues, and especially on the nuclear question, US has either modified or reversed its positions. It has moved from a policy of sanctions, denials and counterbalancing India to one of engagement, accommodation and even exceptional treatment. Opening doors for international cooperation in India’s nuclear power sector, contrary to its own three decades plus policy directed against India, and the expectations this has raised on both sides of major gains for both sides on various fronts from this initiative, explains the current obsession with the US relationship.

Why Europe is Important?

With Europe or with France, no such dramatic change in relationship has occurred, and there is, consequently, no excitement among specialists or the media. EU’s personality expresses itself best on the economic front, somewhat less in political terms and inadequately on the military front. Europe no longer has the aura of power that US has. Its capacity to act independently of US is limited because of the alliance relationship that US dominates.

But this enhances in a way Europe’s relevance to India. Economic growth is India’s priority. Collectively, EU is India’s biggest trading and investment partner. Within Europe, three or four of the world’s largest economies are located. With each of them India’s trade and investment relationship is on the ascendant. While Germany and UK figure in public consciousness as major economic partners of India, what is less known is that 550 French companies are now operating in India, employing 100,000 people. France aims to double this number in the period ahead, and the expectation is of French companies investing up to US$10 billion in the next five years.

In developing our inadequate infrastructure, Europe can provide the material, technical and financial resources. In IT and ITES sector, our over dependence on the US market requires a shift towards Europe. The tapping of vast reservoirs of frontline technologies in European small and medium enterprises will be required for deepening the base of our industrial economy. Significantly, India’s rising investments abroad are concentrated primarily in Europe, suggesting a high comfort level our entrepreneurs in the European environment. At the India-EU business summit held in Paris, businessmen on both sides explored future opportunities.

Potentially, our young and plentiful human resource base can meet the needs of Europe’s ageing societies within the logic of globalization, economic interdependence and all round prosperity. The Social Security Agreement signed during the summit will encourage Indian skilled personnel to move to Europe within the framework of a developing pragmatic European immigration policy. The current uncertainties in parts of Europe about the benefits of globalization, and fears about the rise of China and India may be defensive reactions to shifts in global economic power, of which the current deadlock in the WTO is a symptom. This points all the more to the need for an intensive dialogue with Europe. Climate change and the related issue of environmentally clean technologies require a joint search for equitable solutions between India and Europe.

Benefiting Infrastructure

France showed almost three decades ago the possibility of acquiring a high degree of energy autonomy by developing its civilian nuclear power sector to the point that almost 80 percent of its electricity needs are meet from this source. With the NSG waiver coming, in securing which France played a critical role in mobilizing EU support, the expansion of our nuclear power sector can begin. The India-France nuclear agreement signed at Paris is the first fruit of India’s changed nuclear status. In space technology, with Arianespace, France is in the forefront and India has had fruitful cooperation with it in this sector. In transportation technology, especially air and rail, France and Germany are in the vanguard.

Europe seeks now to influence the rest of the world through assertion of what it considers to be the universal values of democracy, pluralism, non-governmental action, freedom of expression, human rights, good governance etc. While over-assertion of these values by Europe for political or other ends may jar at times, India and Europe are on the same page on this. These values do not threaten our political or social system, unlike in the case of some other countries, and so is not a point of contention. It was unfortunate the issue of “massacre” of Christians in India got undue prominence at the Marseille summit, with our Prime Minister put on the defensive publicly.

Religious extremism and terrorism have emerged as serious dangers to both India and Europe. Their epicenter has moved to our region. But the networks of radical Islam extend from the borders of India to the entire southern Mediterranean coast, with pockets in European societies themselves. The recent killing of French soldiers by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the blasting of our Embassy there add urgency to the need to address this threat. With nuclear-armed Pakistan sliding towards instability, the stakes are growing for both India and Europe.

Europe may not be collectively a major military power in the absence of a common defense policy (which is a plus point as we are unlikely to be embroiled in misadventures to prove our solidarity), but individually Europe has two nuclear weapon powers that also produce front line military equipment. French helicopters produced under license in India have been the mainstay of our high altitude operations in the Himalayas. India has bought Mirages from France and Hawk aircraft from UK. French submarines are under construction in India. Europe will be looking closely at our developing defence procurement relationship with US. While we forge new relationships, as is normal, it is wise to also consolidate the tried and tested old ones.

India as a Future Pole

India is being identified as a future pole in a multi-polar world along with US, Russia, China, Japan and Europe. We have aspirations to be a permanent member of the Security Council, along with Germany in Europe. Support for our membership of G-8 is widespread. France and UK have been in the lead in promoting our ambitions to play a role commensurate with our size and potential. European support is critical to any consensus in India’s favour. Europe cannot alone deliver what we may want- as in the case of the nuclear deal- but without the support of major European powers, others cannot deliver either. India cannot play a global role without forging balanced relationships with all centres of power. We should reciprocate the gestures of friendship and respect of Europe towards us by underlining our own commitment to strategic ties with Europe, accompanied by a willingness to take material decisions to give concrete meaning to this commitment.