What happened?
The 7th India-France Maritime Cooperation Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 14 January 2025. It was co-chaired by Pavan Kapoor, Deputy National Security Advisor, and Alice Rufo, Director General for International Relations and Strategy, Ministry for the Armed Forces, France. The discussions primarily focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Why it matters to India
The 7th India-France Maritime Cooperation Dialogue is significant for India as it reinforced the strategic partnership between India and France in the IOR, underscoring India’s commitment to regional stability and sustainable ocean governance. Notably, both India and France share a vision for a free and open Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Both sides agreed to develop a joint assessment of the threats to maritime security in the region and agreed to work jointly towards countering illicit maritime activities–including piracy and armed robbery, maritime terrorism, contraband smuggling, illegal unreported and unregulated fishing along with tackling hybrid as well as cyber security threats and marine pollution.