France Backs India's Bid for UNSC Seat Amid Global Reform Calls

French Ambassador Thierry Mathou highlighted the pivotal relationship between PM Modi and President Macron, emphasizing it as a key strength in global diplomacy. France extends strong support for India's permanent UNSC membership and advocates comprehensive international reforms to address global challenges.

French Ambassador to India, Thierry Mathou, has lauded the significant relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, describing it as a crucial asset in the current global scenario. Mathou emphasized the role of personal relationships in international diplomacy, asserting their importance in mitigating global fragmentation and fostering inter-nation understanding.

In talks with ANI, Mathou stated, "Personal relations are essential to understand each other and to reduce fragmentation of our world. Prime Minister Modi and President Macron's relationship, and beyond that, our strategic partnership, are key assets in these troubled times." During the 79th United Nations General Assembly, President Macron reinforced France's support for India's permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), advocating for necessary reforms to make the UN more representative and effective.

When questioned about the French President's endorsement of India's UNSC bid, Mathou confirmed, "The President recalled in New York our complete support to G4's request, including India's, to get a permanent seat in the UNSC. We need to make our international institutions more efficient, which means also more representative." Mathou further expressed France's willingness to progress on the issues of reforming the UNSC and minimizing the use of veto in situations of mass atrocities.

Addressing the need for expansive reforms, Mathou highlighted the necessity of an agenda tackling climate change, biodiversity, and global health issues while reducing inequalities. He echoed Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's call for restructuring global financial bodies such as the World Bank and the IMF to enhance their effectiveness and legitimacy in addressing global challenges.

Mathou warned that failure to meet countries' requirements could lead to their circumvention, which would be a collective loss. France is committed to collective solutions and reducing fragmentation. Upcoming international engagements include the Francophonie summit, an AI summit in February, and a United Nations Conference on Ocean in 2025.

The French envoy stated, "We will host the Francophonie summit this week, with a strong focus on multilingualism and cultural diversity. In February, the AI summit will address digital inequality and foster innovation. In June 2025, the United Nations Conference on Ocean will aim to bolster the success of the marine diversity agreement recently endorsed by India."

(With inputs from agencies.)