On Tuesday the 19th of March 2019, various academics, diplomats,
military officers and distinguished guests met for a security salon on ‘French
Perspectives on the Indo-Pacific’. The salon was organised by the Institute of
National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL) and hosted at the Ministry of
Defence and attended by guest speaker Dr. Frederic Grare, Charge de Mission at
the Centre for Analysis, Planning and Strategy.
After a warm welcome from the Director General of INSSSL, Asanga
Abeyagoonasekera, Dr. Grare spoke extensively about the French perspective and
interests in the Indo-Pacific, with an underlying notion that to mitigate
threats in the region states must change the conversation about security by
focusing on interstate cooperation and collaboration.
Dr. Grare opened his segment by firstly describing the
Indo-Pacific, stating that there is no geographical reality of this area, and
the term is used merely as a framing device. He quoted Australian Allan
Gyngell, who believes “the Indo-Pacific is simply a way for governments to
frame the international environment to suit their policy objectives…”. This is
a very valid and applicable definition that France utilises, said Dr. Grare,
with mention of the ambiguous and ever-changing definitions that exist globally,
particularly in the US.
Dr. Grare then moved to discuss France’s specific interests in the
region, explaining that militarisation is at the core of the French
perspective. He mentioned that France focuses on specific countries and not
specific states for Indo-Pacific relations. There shouldn’t be a system of
favouring certain states or reacting to state interests. Instead, a system with
better dialogue and increased cooperation should be created in the
Indo-Pacific, he said.
The particular objectives of France in the region were discussed
next, with reference to preserving freedom of navigation, sovereignty, and the
natural environment. According to Dr. Grare, France is no different to other
states who depend on the Indo-Pacific sea lanes, and hence France is ready to
assume its share of responsibilities to maintain this freedom and has been
doing so for years. Furthermore, states must actively work to preserve the
notion of sovereignty in territories and populations, with specific reference
to the impact of certain activities such as illegal fishing in sovereign
waters.
In the same vein, Dr. Grare stressed the threat of climate change
in the Indo-Pacific, mentioning rising sea levels, the displacement of
populations, the impacts of over-fishing, and the aftermath of natural
disasters. These new security threats may create serious change in the security
and political landscapes and need to be addressed through state cooperation.
Dr. Grare concluded by stating that the way in which France views
the Indo-Pacific is cooperatively; that the region is inclusive of a range of
states from across the globe who must work together strategically.
The floor was then opened to questions from attendees with a focus
on the need for Sri Lanka to take initiative and reach out to other nations for
assistance with security and strategy. Dr. Grare mentioned that Sri Lanka need
not work alone, and that there are definite possibilities for cooperative
security endeavours, but the country does need to take the first steps to ensure
this in the Indo-Pacific