New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron's top diplomatic advisor, who is in India for talks, has assured his country's support to New Delhi at the United Nations Security Council and also highlighted how Paris did not allow China "play..games".
Emmanuel Bonne, the Diplomatic Advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, said that France has not let China play any procedural games regarding the security concern in Kashmir.
"Whether it be on Kashmir, we`ve been supportive of India in the security concern. We haven`t let the Chinese play any kind of procedural games. When it comes to the Himalayas, check our statements, they are perfectly clear. What we say publicly, we say it to the Chinese privately. There is no ambiguity," he said while speaking at an event here on Thursday.
He further called on China to respect international rules and be less aggressive to other nations. "We want China to respect certain rules, we want China to be less aggressive, we want China to understand that we are present in the field, willing and able to defend our interests," he said.
Bonne also asserted the need to be strong enough to not let the Chinese administration develop another set of norms and principles, and the need to be able to counter China by creating a global proposal, which drives China to work within the same framework as other nations. He further said that China does not comply with the rules, certain consequences could be drawn from it.
Earlier in the day, Bonne spoke on India`s two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying that the term will be critical for both Paris and New Delhi to take initiatives related to the Indo-Pacific region and terrorist threats.
"We need India..we want to develop ties with India in a long term approach," he added. India`s tenure at the Security Council formally began on Monday with a flag installation ceremony.Bonne is in India for the annual strategic dialogue between the two countries.
France has always backed India's permanent membership of the council. Earlier this month, India became a non-permanent member of the council for a 2-year term period. Interestingly, bonne was a member of the French team when India was last at the UNSC in the 2011-2012 period.
Asked about Chinese aggressiveness with India, he said, "Let us not go for confrontation and it's much easier to say this from Paris, than from Delhi when you almost have a problem in the Himalayas and when you have Pakistan at your border...When it comes to the Himalayas, just check our statement we are perfectly clear. What we say publicly, we say to the Chinese also privately."
Last year saw the visit of the French Defence Minister to India amid the India China Line of actual control row. She was in India for the induction ceremony of Rafales in the Indian airforce.
