Who can dispute the indisput­able fact that both India and France stand under one umbrella in sharing a common vision of the world ? Jean

Marie Bockel who is the French Minister of State for Defence and Veterans has unambiguously stated that, “In fact, France is working towards building an international order in which India and other emerging nations share full res­ponsibilities. France is doing this with the conviction that a prosperous India, whose strategic interests are secure, contributes to world stability. India taking up its full role at the international level is in the interests of France and Hurope as well as the rest of the world. It starts with French support to India’s case for permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council and the enlargement ot the G-8, in particular to include India. President Nicolas Sarkozy holds this view very strongly, as he did at the time of his state visit to India on January 25 and 26, 200S. and during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to France on September 29 and 30.”