Exclusive: French army chief hails India as a key partner, calls for increased military cooperation

French Army Chief Gen Pierre Schill has termed India as a key partner, emphasising the necessity of enhancing military cooperation between the two nations. In an exclusive conversation with WION diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, General Schill underscored India's significance, stating, "India is one of the biggest partners in the area."

He elaborated on his discussions with Indian Army Chief Manoj Pande, highlighting the need to deepen cooperation both quantitatively and qualitatively. This includes intensifying joint exercises, exchanging staff members, and engaging in dialogues regarding military doctrine and experiences.

During his three-day visit to India, Gen Schill engaged with representatives from the defence industry and observed a Pinaka firing demonstration in Rajasthan.

Regarding the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and Chinese assertiveness, he remarked that "China is a very strong power and China has a clear agenda to use this power."

Reflecting on the situation in Ukraine, he emphasised the imperative to expedite the development of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment, stating, "We will support Ukraine because France, you know, is behind Ukraine."

Here is the full interview:

WION: How do you see army-to-army engagement between the Indian Army and the French Army?

Gen Pierre Schill: Thank you for welcoming me here. I'm very happy to be here for three days and when I met my counterpart General Manoj Pande, we had very ancient relations between our two armies, we have a very ancient relation between our two countries. You mentioned the great honour of welcoming President Macron here for the Republic Day and marching of the French unit in the opening of the parade this year, and this is a sign of those 25 years of strategic relationship between our two countries. Relation is at the strategic level, there is a way to feed this relation at the army level. So the armed forces and the relation between the two Navies or Air forces counterparts are well-known, but there is also a very important relation between our two armies.

WION:What are the key focus areas when you had a conversation with your Indian counterpart here in Delhi?

Gen Pierre Schill: The base of our discussions was about how to deepen and enhance the relation we had during the last years and for example, in 2023 we increased the relation. General Manoj Pande was in charge and I was too and we met in Paris one year ago when he came and I received him in Paris. So we decided to enhance this relationship. So we did some important common activities in 2023, including exercises. We had an Army Detachment on a French ship which came here last year and that was the time to make a very interesting exercise. So the base for our discussions was to agree that we must go on further in quantity, but also in quality, for some common exercises, some exchanges of staff members, and also some talks about doctrine or exchange of experience, Army experience.

WION:So you pointed out to various exercises which have been happening between the Indian side and the French side, there are upcoming exercises as well - the Shakti exercises, which will take place in the month of May, if you can elaborate what will be the focus area, the participation at the French level with the Indian side?

Gen Pierre Schill: Yes...every two years we are doing those Shakti exercises and we try to do it once in France and once in India. So in 2024, it will be an exercise in India, here. The place is at the moment still [being] discussed, but what I know is that we will have about 100 French soldiers and we will come and do common exercise with the Army but also with some participation from the Air Force. And we will do an exercise at battalion level. That means we will try to increase the level of the exercise every year. The interest here is mutual knowledge. It is also the tactical theme we will make but it is also an exchange of military knowledge of our soldiers because our two armies are active armies that are really prepared for fight. And so that's sure from my side, regarding the fact that my soldiers will be able to know and learn from soldiers here, really efficient and famous with a famous military skill of the Indian Army.

WION: We saw the French contingent at the Republic Day Parade, which was symbolic of the India-French relationship. We also saw the Indian contingent at the Bastille Day parade as well. Symbolic of the relationship. How do you see the participation of these contingents? The French contingent marched on Republic Day, which was seen across the world and tweeted by the French president as well.

Gen Pierre Schill: I was lucky to be in the Champs-Élysées on Bastille Day, when Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi came and when three Armed forces contingents, from Air Force, Navy and Army were opening the parade. It was great. When French remember Bastille Day of 2023 they have in sight the parade of the Indian detachment. I think this is very important, our relation is a strategic relation, fed by the military relation. So having some Indian units on Bastille Day and Prime Minister Modi coming and this year having our President on the Republic Day and those French units marching with the Indian Army are very symbolic and very important symbols of this relation between our two countries.

WION:Sir, your three-day visit was not just about the meeting but also about your travels. You saw the firing as well, the artillery firing in Rajasthan. What do you make out of that? Your conversation as well, your addresses as well and any specific comments on India's make in India projects.

Gen Pierre Schill: I was very impressed during the last three days by all that I've seen. I've met...the higher [officials] responsible of the Army, of course General Pande, but also the Vice Chief of Air force, Vice Chief of Navy and some units on the ground including a demonstration of shooting, long-range artillery Indian shooting.I was very impressed at all levels because of the professionalism of the Indian Army, the quality of their equipment and as you mentioned, make-in-India equipment with the ambition to have real strategic autonomy. And I value this a lot because this is very close to the French view of strategic autonomy, freedom of decision, support of a world in which the rules are the normal way to cope with the relations between states. And I think this is the heart and the base of our relationship and what we military, we need to keep possible for our politicians. That means supporting this view of our two countries but very, very impressive Indian Army and I will have a lot to think about coming back to France.