India, France discuss piracy, terrorism, Afghanistan

New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) Anti-piracy operations off
Somalia, stability in Afghanistan, terrorism in the region and
safety of Indian Ocean topped the agenda of talks when French
Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Edouard Guillaud met India's
top security leadership here Monday.
France sought India's continued cooperation in the fight
against the sea brigands in the Gulf of Aden, apart from
sharing concerns over the security situation in Afghanistan
and the South Asian region, Admiral Guillaud told a press
conference here after his meetings with the Indian security
top brass.
Guillaud had met National Security Adviser Shivshankar
Menon, Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee and Indian Air
Force Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, Navy Chief Admiral
Nirmal Verma and Indian Army Chief General V K Singh during
the day, as part of his four-day visit that began on Saturday.
He will be visiting Mumbai to inspect the French-aided
Scorpene submarine construction at the Mazagon Docks tomorrow.
"There are certain common challenges for France and India
-- safety and security of Indian Ocean...where piracy is
widespread, situation in Afghanistan, terrorism in the region
such as the Mumbai attacks," he said after the meetings.
"As the largest democracy of the world, India can be the
central player in starting a regional dialogue and this was
one of the topics of my discussion with the Indian leadership
today," he added.
Noting that Arab crisis, Islamic terrorism and pirates
operating in the Gulf of Aden were posing "a great challenge"
to global peace and stability, he said the India-initiated
Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was an example of regional
dialogue that could foster greater understanding, cooperation
among nations of the region to meet the threats.
On Afghanistan, Guillaud refused to give away the
specifics of his discussions with the Indian leadership, but
said India was committed to the cause of peace and stability
there and that France sought its help in ensuring the Afghan
people were "ready to decide their own fate."
On the supposed US forces withdrawal from Afghanistan in
the mid-2011, the French defence chief said that was not his
understanding of American President Barack Obama's policy
announcement in the middle of last year.
He said it had been amply clarified that "suitable
conditions" in Afghanistan should favour withdrawal and this
assessment was in the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force's (ISAF) leadership.
On Pakistan's role in Afghanistan, Adm Guillaud said he
favoured "any process of reconciliation" in Kabul and that
Islamabad was "part of the solution and not not part of the
problem".
He also said that the French would, whenever required,
make available naval port facilities in Djibouti in the Indian
Ocean to Indian warships, and announced that French nuclear
powered aircraft carrier 'Charles de Gaulle' would join a
bilateral naval exercise off India in early 2011.