It is for the first time that India is invited by France to participate in the Naval Exercise La Perouse. This exercise will be conducted in the Indian ocean at the Bay of Bengal.
France Invites India For The First Time
The other participating countries are mainly from a QUAD group which consists of Japan, Australia, India, and the United States of America.
This will be the first edition of the exercise that will include the Indian Navy in the war game directed by France.
France started this joint naval exercise in 2019 and at that time the participating nations were the US, Japan, and Australia.
The name of the exercise is kept after a famous French explorer La Perouse, whose death is still a mystery.
Why did France include India?
If we talk about France, it is the leading nation having the largest Exclusive Economic Zones.
France also has many of its exclusive zones in the Indian Ocean, that is why in recent years relations between India and France have increased rapidly.
France is well aware of China, so in order to counter China’s influence in Indo Pacific region, it has focused on India in the recent past.
Moreover, France also wants to replace Britain as India’s gateway to Europe. Last Year France joined the Indian Ocean Rim Association and become the 23rd member of it, hence strengthening the ties between the two nations.
Message to China
As per recent reports, the Chinese Navy has now become the largest Navy in the world surpassing the United States of America.
Observing the growth of China’s navy this Naval Exercise will surely send a message to China that we are united and ready to tackle any threat pose by China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Last year Malabar Exercise was conducted in the region, in which Australia also participated along with the navies of India, the US, and Japan.
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