• Indian Ocean region is impacted by environmental issues and climate change which requires collective response
• France rejects any logic of bloc confrontation; wants state sovereignty, multilateralism, and rules-based order
• Commends Sri Lanka’s resilience, vitality of its democracy
• Says ready for closer collaboration but will watch for implementation of IMF plan

The visit of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Secretary General Anne-Marie Descôtes to Sri Lanka last week and the launch of the new Regional Centre for Maritime Studies (RCMS) based at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) mark a milestone in Franco-Lankan relations. France and Sri Lanka have a long-established relationship, with both countries celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations last year. France also adopted a new Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2019, becoming the first European country to craft one for the region.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Morning, Secretary General Descôtes discussed Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and future trajectory, prospects of improving bilateral relations and trade, France’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, and the potential Sri Lanka holds to become a regional hub to train and coordinate responses to current and emerging challenges which Indian Ocean neighbours face. Descôtes praised Sri Lanka’s resilience in the face of the crisis and the vibrant democracy which has prevailed in the island, while noting that the journey to recovery and stability would be a long one.  

Following are excerpts from the interview:

The Indo-Pacific region is today becoming the growth engine of the world and is also increasingly becoming a region of geopolitical contention, especially between the United States and China. How does France view the evolving nature of the region as one of its members?

First of all, it is indeed important to remember that France is present in the region with its overseas departments and communities, La Réunion island being the nearest to Sri Lanka. Nearly two million French people live in the Indo-Pacific and over 90% of the French Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is located in this region. 

Trade with the Indo‑Pacific represents more than a third of French trade in goods outside of the European Union (EU). It is a strategic zone for us, which is the new driver of global growth for the past two decades.

The Indo-Pacific is indeed at the heart of major global challenges and geopolitical contention, which are weakening the balance of power. On top of that, transnational threats have increased too and they are particularly visible in the oceans, with major challenges such as securing shipping lanes and ensuring the freedom of navigation. Those are major concerns for all of us. France’s approach and actions do not foster the logic of blocs.

France has increased its interaction with the Indian Ocean and the Pacific regions over the last few years and has introduced an Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2019. Is this aimed at reinforcing France as a stakeholder in the region where it has significant interests and is concerned about growing risks?

The French Indo-Pacific Strategy covers four ‘pillars’. The first one is security and defence. We must ensure and defend the integrity and sovereignty of our territories and our EEZ. We also want to contribute to the security of the region, for instance by promoting military and security cooperation with third countries in response to the needs they express to us. 

The second pillar is economy, connectivity, research, and innovation. We have seen lately, for instance with the Covid pandemic, that it is essential to ensure diversification of the supply of strategic goods and to reduce dependencies. 

The third pillar is multilateralism and the rule of law, which we promote both by working with Indo-Pacific countries within international organisations and by fostering regional organisations such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), currently chaired by Sri Lanka.

The last pillar of our strategy is climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable management of oceans. The Indo-Pacific is one of the global regions that is the most directly impacted by environmental issues and climate change. I think that all of these four pillars will resonate with a country such as Sri Lanka, encountering the same issues.

French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Secretary General Anne-Marie Descôtes at the launch of the RCMS with KDU officials 

France has been a proponent of multilateralism and the rule of law in its approach to the region. Can you explain why France champions such an approach when other countries have followed different strategies?

The French strategy promotes a non-confrontational and multidimensional approach. The main idea is that France rejects any logic of bloc confrontation. Our objective is to develop sovereignty-based partnerships with like-minded countries such as Sri Lanka in order to contribute to an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, based on respect for international law, sovereignty, and multilateralism. These are the only elements that are driving our actions in the region.

You are in Colombo this week for the inauguration of the RCMS. Why is France supporting this initiative and how does establishing a regional centre fall in line with the French Indo-Pacific Strategy? Also, what are the key objectives of the RCMS?

Our Indo-Pacific Strategy not only identifies maritime security issues as absolute priorities, but also promotes a multilateral approach in the Indian Ocean. The common denominators between France and Sri Lanka allow for fruitful structural cooperation between our two countries and explains why France is very much involved in the development of cooperation projects such as the RCMS. 

The key objectives of the centre are to provide comprehensive training and capacity building for civil and military personnel on maritime security and safety issues; to foster partnerships; to support regional efforts in maritime safety, security, and marine environmental protection; and finally to work for the standardisation of operational procedures. This project is a wonderful example of what France and Sri Lanka can do together.

Sri Lanka is a key actor in the maritime sphere in the Indian Ocean region. What are your thoughts on Sri Lanka’s potential to become a centre for academic and training collaboration on maritime-related issues?

Sri Lanka has immense potential in the maritime field, as it occupies a strategic position in the Indian Ocean. First, its geographical location on one of the most important maritime roads makes it a key actor at the crossroad of trade sea routes but also illegal trafficking, such as illegal immigration (bound to Australia or to La Réunion) and drug trafficking stemming from Central Asia. As Sri Lanka is on the frontline against those issues, it could spearhead training cooperation on the subject. 

For instance, before it took over the Presidency of IORA, Sri Lanka was leading its Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security. This is another example of the country’s commitment to tackle major common issues such as safety at sea, maritime crime, or marine pollution. 

Sri Lanka has become a key stakeholder on maritime matters in the Indian Ocean. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) understood this dynamic when it chose Colombo to harbour the head of its Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP). 

Moreover, the country overflows with high quality expertise in the maritime domain – first through its many agencies, such as the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard. Second, through its Navy, whose professionalism and competence were lately highlighted with an impressive series of interceptions of drug-transporting ships. The Navy is thus the biggest support of the RCMS, notably through the provision of human resources and precious expertise.

Why are maritime safety, ocean pollution, climate change, trade, multilateralism, and maritime security key pillars of the French Indo-Pacific Strategy?

These are challenges not only for France but for all countries of the region and the solutions to meet these challenges are collectively thought and implemented. This is the reason why they are key pillars of our Indo-Pacific Strategy. It is what makes the RCMS, which covers some of these major issues, a key tool at the heart of the region’s challenges and responses to meet them.

France played a pivotal role in helping Sri Lanka restructure its external debt during our worst economic crisis. With the new Government at the helm in Colombo, what is your message to Sri Lanka and what are the areas of focus for your engagement with senior Government officials?

After Sri Lanka defaulted in 2022, the country collaborated with international partners to fill the financial gap, first of all by engaging with the international financial institutions, and secondly by rescheduling its creditors. 

As Chair of the Paris Club, France played an important role in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring. Sri Lanka’s main creditors were the Paris Club (which includes Japan), India, and China. France facilitated coordination amongst creditors, working closely with India and engaging in lighter coordination with China. What we offered at that time was pretty new, as there was no organised framework for a country like Sri Lanka, which, at the time, was not eligible for the common framework for debt treatment. 

We could have hoped to make it quicker, but, in the end, we managed to achieve three things: Sri Lanka was able to receive International Monetary Fund (IMF) disbursements all along the process, official creditors were able to reach a deal officialised in Paris in June, and the bond holders also reached a deal which was consistent with both the IMF requirements on debt sustainability and fair burden sharing with official creditors. We are ready to step up our cooperation once all stages of the debt restructuring have been completed and we can work together on a stronger basis.

What concerns does France have about the island nation’s trajectory?

First and foremost, we can only commend Sri Lanka’s resilience, as it gradually emerges from difficult times and looks resolutely to the future. Politically, the recent Presidential Election and then Parliamentary Elections bear witness to the vitality of democracy and political processes in Sri Lanka. 

On the economic front, France’s message to the new Government is a message of hope. We positively view the improvement in the economic situation. Sri Lanka decided to undertake necessary reforms to get back to debt sustainability. This will be a long journey, where the country has to implement difficult reforms, with the international financial institutions and the creditors. 

France stands by the side of Sri Lanka. We, as official creditors, helped bridging that financing gap and ensured that the private sector was also sufficiently involved. Our main focus now is the impact of those structural reforms for the long-term growth and development of the country. We are closely monitoring the smooth implementation of the $ 3 billion programme of the IMF.

In your opinion, what can be done to improve the trade relationship between Sri Lanka and France and the broader European market?

In 2023, France was the eighth biggest buyer of Sri Lankan exports and ranked 19th among foreign providers. Total trade between our countries was EUR 595 million (approximately Rs. 181 billion) with France running a trade deficit of EUR 315 million with Sri Lanka. 

However, I think there is untapped potential for stronger trade between France and Sri Lanka. I believe we will succeed in turning those trade figures around as long as we manage to sustain a path towards economic growth and a strong relationship. A healthier long-term economic outlook for Sri Lanka will not only increase exports but will also generate greater interest from French businesses, leading to more investments in Sri Lanka. 

I also wish to mention that there are some trade barriers we hope to see amended in the upcoming years. France is already working closely with Sri Lanka on this matter. The European Union is also a relevant level of discussion to improve the trade relationship between our countries. We hope that the EU-Sri Lanka investors’ dialogue, which has not been held since 2022, can be held soon. 

The European Union is indeed the second biggest trading partner of Sri Lanka, the second destination for exports, and the third source of imports. Sri Lanka benefits from the GSP+ scheme, which removes import duties from products coming into the EU market. The GSP+ scheme is the most important trade scheme Sri Lanka has; 85% of Sri Lankan exports to Europe benefit from this arrangement. 

You were in India for bilateral talks in March this year and both countries have planned to move forward with the ‘Horizon 2047 Roadmap’. Do you see opportunities for Sri Lanka to benefit from such a programme, given our close links with both France and India?

I was indeed in New Delhi in March this year for political consultations with my Indian counterpart. We meet on a regular basis either in Paris or in New Delhi. These consultations gave us the opportunity to review progress on the implementation of the ‘Horizon 2047 Roadmap’ signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2023. With this roadmap, France and India have set ambitions for the 25 years to come in various areas: defence, global issues, people-to-people relations, etc.

I can only see benefits for our partners, in particular for Sri Lanka. We can only benefit from cooperation and are willing to continue to do more with Sri Lanka. For this reason, I am glad that this same year, both Sri Lankan and French Ministries of Foreign Affairs held their first political consultations. It gives me the opportunity to say that these high-level contacts between our Heads of State and those between our administrations have paved the way for even more cooperation between France and Sri Lanka. 

The discussions during my visit to Sri Lanka with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Vijitha Herath will further strengthen the friendship ties between our countries.