India, France discuss developments in Afghanistan, Indo-Pacific region
India, France and Australia have a trilateral dialogue on the Indo-Pacific, a vast geographical space between the west coast of the US and the east coast of Africa
NEW DELHI: India and France on Saturday discussed Afghanistan and the recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region, Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar said days after the US, UK and Australia announced a new security pact that has left Paris miffed.
“Discussed recent developments in the Indo-Pacific and Afghanistan with my friend FM @JY_LeDrian . Looking forward to our New York meeting," Jaishankar said in a Twitter post.
There were no other details available immediately.
On Thursday, the three Western allies announced their pact that will see Australia building nuclear-powered submarines using the US and UK technology — after cancelling a pact that Canberra had signed with Paris earlier for a similar project worth tens of billions of dollars.
The development is seen in the context of China boosting its military power and projecting its new profile in the South China Sea, Taiwan Straits and the East China Sea.
France on Friday recalled its envoys from the US and Australia for consultations, a move seen as extremely rare, said news reports in the New York Times and Financial Times. Ties between the US and France have been seen as steady for decades but France has been annoyed by the US not having kept it in the loop, informing Paris after a press conference on Thursday to announce the pact, news reports said.
India, France and Australia have a trilateral dialogue on the Indo-Pacific, a vast geographical space between the west coast of the US and the east coast of Africa. India and Australia are part of the Quad group of countries that also has the US and Japan as partners.
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