Rafale deal show strong partnership between India, France, says French envoy Lenain

The French envoy to India Emmanuel Lenain, speaking ahead of the arrival of Rafale fighter jets has said it shows "strong partnership between our two countries."

Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal at Delhi's Palam airport where the French military plane landed with COVID-19 medical aid, envoy Lenain said, "India is a world leader in the production of the vaccine" and "it is going to be like this for COVID-19."

France sent 120 ventilators, along with 50,000 serological test kits 50,000 nose and throat swabs to India on Tuesday. The French envoy said it is in "reciprocation" of India's help to France when it was hit by COVID-19.

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WION: France has sent "gifts" as ventilators, kits amid COVID-19 to India. If you can give us the details?

Emmanuel Lenain: In France, we have a saying, there is no such thing as love, only proofs of love. That is what is happening between France and India. Your country has helped us tremendously during the peak of COVID-19 in France a few months ago. Indian PM Modi has allowed export of medical goods, drugs for French hospitals.

Today we want to reciprocate and help India steer through the COVID-19 crisis. We have sent an exceptional package of assistance. There are some ventilators, testing kits, best of the best experts who will interact and exchange best practices with Indians counterparts.

We have been discussing with the Indian government for weeks now to find exactly what is needed. Many things that we will be giving will be used to transport medically ill patients. Testing kits, 50, 000 of them. All this has been brought in a military plane which has been refit to transport patients.

WION: How are both India and France collaborating during the coronaviruscrisis especially when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine.

Emmanuel Lenain: We have been collaborating since the beginning, at all level. Your PM, my president havebeen talking extensively, exchanging good practices. What they can do at the national level, launch international and multilateral level basically it goes from response to way out.

The way out obviously will be via a vaccine. We recognise India is a world leader in the production of the vaccine. It has been for years, it is going to be like this for COVID-19. We push for strong collaboration between our institute, between our companies, research to make sure an affordable, efficient vaccine will be provided to our population as quickly as possible, as widely as possible.

WION: Five Rafales will land in India on Wednesday..how do you see the development in terms of defence partnership?

Emmanuel Lenain: We are very proud of it and delighted they are coming. These are outstanding planes. It shows the strong partnership between our two countries. They are coming with Indian pilots and technicians. They have been trained in France and from what I understand they have been doing very good.

WION: And any special way to welcome them in India...

Emmanuel Lenain: You have to ask the Indian authorities but they are planning something outstanding in coming weeks.

WION: Global Geopolitics is changing very fast.. while countries are coming together, we have seen an aggressive China..the Galwan incident..how do you see these developments?

Emmanuel Lenain: The world out of COVID-19 is not going to be a simple world. The world is going to be even more dangerous in many aspects and that is why you need to reinforce partnership and friends in India are doing that and I am very confident when I see the strength of the partnership between our two countries.