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Tag: france

  • France calls West Bank Israeli settler violence ‘policy of terror’

    France calls West Bank Israeli settler violence ‘policy of terror’

    UN human rights chief Volker Turk echoed her words.  Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, Turk said he was deeply concerned about the intensification of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank…reports Asian Lite News

    France has condemned violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, calling it a “policy of terror” aimed at displacing Palestinians and urging Israeli authorities to protect Palestinians from the violence.

    UN figures show that daily settler attacks have more than doubled, since the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and the ensuing assault on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

    “Concerning the West Bank, I’d like to express the strongest condemnation by France of the violence carried out by the settlers against the Palestinians,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre.

    “Violence which has the clear objective of forced displacement of the Palestinians and a policy of terror.” She said the Israeli authorities needed to take the necessary measures to protect the Palestinian population and warned that the settlement policy harmed the two-state solution.

    UN human rights chief Volker Turk echoed her words.  Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, Turk said he was deeply concerned about the intensification of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

    He said it was clear the Israeli occupation must end. This year was already the deadliest in at least 15 years for West Bank residents, with some 200 Palestinians and 26 Israelis killed, according to UN data.

    But just in the three weeks since the Oct. 7 attack, more than 120 West Bank Palestinians have been killed. Clashes with soldiers have caused most deaths.

    Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and it has been under military occupation since, while Israeli settlements have consistently expanded.

    Palestinians envisage the West Bank as part of a future independent state also including Gaza and East Jerusalem. France’s Legendre also said that about half the 100 tons of aid France had sent to Gaza had entered the enclave.

    She added it was not up to Israel to decide the future governance of Gaza, which she said should be part of a future Palestinian state.

    ALSO READ-Syria’s Assad Faces Arrest in France

  • Syria’s Assad Faces Arrest in France

    Syria’s Assad Faces Arrest in France

    This is the first time that a nation has issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity for a sitting head of state in another country….reports Asian Lite News

    The French government has issued an arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in the war-torn nation, a media report said citing a judicial source.

    This is the first time that a nation has issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity for a sitting head of state in another country.

    The source told CNN that two investigative judges on Tuesday issued four warrants against the President, his brother Maher al-Assad, and two other senior officials, for complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.

    Syrian human rights lawyer and a founder of the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research, Anwar al-Bunni told CNN on Wednesday that the decision was “unprecedented.”

    An Interpol ‘Red Notice’ is expected to follow, Michael Chammas, one of the plaintiff’s lawyers, told CNN.

    A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest someone pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action, according to Interpol.

    “All Interpol member states should then comply with the arrest warrant,” Chammas added.

    The legal case was brought forward by the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) and the Syrian Archive in March 2021 “over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in the town of Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in August 2013, in attacks which killed more than 1,000 people”, the plaintiffs said in a statement Wednesday.

    The Syrian government was accused of using poison gas in Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, then a rebel stronghold that the regime had been desperately trying to take back for more than a year.

    It in turn accused opposition forces of carrying out the attacks themselves.

    Despite being accused of comitting war crimes, the Syrian government has long maintained that its strikes only target “terrorists”.

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  • India-France LoI in public administration signed

    India-France LoI in public administration signed

    The roadmap for the bilateral collaboration will be drawn up by a Joint Working Group that will be established under the aegis of the Letter of Intent. Both sides agreed to strengthen the relationship through high-level exchanges in the coming months…reports Asian Lite News

    The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India and M/o Public Sector Transformation and the Civil Service of the French Republic signed the Letter of Intent for Cooperation in the field of Public Administration and Administrative Reforms for three years.

    The Letter of Intent was signed by V Srinivas, Secretary on behalf of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India at a ceremonial function in New Delhi on Thursday.

    Senior Officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Embassy of India in France, Embassy of France in India and the Ministry of Public Sector Transformation and the Civil Service of the French Republic attended the event conducted in hybrid mode, an official statement released by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said.

    The Letter of Intent seeks to strengthen the bilateral partnership between the two countries through exchange visits focused on administrative reforms, good governance webinars, research publications, institutional exchanges, capacity-building programs and replication of good governance practices, the release added.

    The roadmap for the bilateral collaboration will be drawn up by a Joint Working Group that will be established under the aegis of the Letter of Intent. Both sides agreed to strengthen the relationship through high-level exchanges in the coming months.

    The Indian side presented the translation of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in adopting Next Generation Reforms being undertaken in the Amrit Kaal period with the implementation of the policy maxim “Maximum Governance – Minimum Government” under which India’s public institutions have been transformed as fully digital institutions bringing citizens and government closer using technology.

    The best manifestation of the “Maximum Governance – Minimum Government” policy is a “Digitally Empowered Citizen” and a “Digitally Transformed Institution”. India’s Next Generation Administrative Reforms include recognising meritocracy under the Prime Minister’s Awards Scheme for Excellence in Public Administration, Benchmarking of Governance through the Good Governance Index, improving the quality of e-services through the National e-Services Delivery Assessment and technology adoption in CPGRAMS with a focus on timely and quality grievance redressal.

    The French side expressed interest in exchanging information on Effective Public Grievance Redressal, the Secretariat Reforms adopted for the digital transformation of the Central Secretariat and in the dissemination of award-winning Good Governance Practices, the Ministry’s release said. (ANI)

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  • France to Support India’s Smart Cities Mission

    France to Support India’s Smart Cities Mission

    France announces Euro 100 mn loan to support India’s Smart Cities Mission, build on CITIIS 1 programme….reports Asian Lite News

    France has announced a Euro 100 million loan to support India’s flagship Smart Cities Mission and build on the CITIIS 1 programme.

    France’s Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships Chrysoula Zacharopoulou on Tuesday announced the conclusion of the Euro 100 million loan agreement between the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Indian government.

    The loan supports India’s innovative flagship Smart Cities Mission and builds on the CITIIS 1 programme, also supported by the European Union and implemented by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), a think tank under the auspices of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, as per an official release.

    CITIIS 1.0 programme, launched in 2018 has to date benefitted 12 city-level projects, supporting them to build capacity and implement innovative solutions for sustainable mobility, public open spaces, urban e-governance and ICT, and social and organizational innovation in low-income settlements.

    From climate-oriented designs, participation of urban local bodies and citizens, and management of environmental and social risks to ensuring social inclusion, the project supports India’s path to urban sustainability. The European Union has provided technical support to the CITIIS 1.0 programme with a contribution of six million euros.

    The programme’s second edition now focuses on circular economy and integrated solid waste management. It builds on the same successful approach, with an increased budget of 212 million euros also including a loan from Germany’s Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), and a 12-million-euro grant from the European Union, as part of its flagship Global Gateway strategy.

    India’s Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said Indian cities are facing the growing challenge of solid waste management: 62 million tons of municipal solid waste are generated every year in India, and this figure will go up to 165 million tons per year by 2030.

    The Indian government is supporting ambitious investments for the proper collection, segregation, recycling and treatment of such volumes of waste, in which the private sector, too, has a role to play.

    Welcoming the agreement, Minister of State Chrysoula Zacharopoulou underlined that “France, together with Team Europe, is proud to support this programme, which will be key in building cleaner, greener, and more sustainable cities in India. The innovative CITIIS approach not only mitigates the health and environmental impact of waste but also creates economic opportunities and a positive social impact on citizens. This project is also emblematic of how the European Union’s flagship Global Gateway strategy can support key partners, such as India, in reconciling economic development with environment protection while building the infrastructure of tomorrow.”

    Charge d’Affaires a.i., Delegation of the EU Seppo Nurmi said, “For both EU and India, cities are the engine of growth but need to adapt sustainable models to be able to address climate change and environmental challenges. This project addresses that precisely, with the EU mobilizing investments from Team Europe for a transformational impact. The EU is happy to continue providing technical support to Indian cities in their journey to become self-reliant and future-ready.”

    He further added: “India is a key partner for us under Global Gateway Strategy and CITIIS 2.0 is yet another project that highlights our mutual commitment to build sustainable and trusted infrastructure”, as per the release.

    Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) Group is a public financial institution that funds, supports and accelerates transitions towards a more just and sustainable world. (ANI)

    2 Alliance Francaise Branches Announced

    In a significant step aimed at promoting the French language and culture in India, the visiting French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou on Wednesday announced that two new Alliance francaise branches will be opened in India soon.

    As French remains the most learned foreign language in India, with 600,000 learners, Alliance francaise de Delhi is one of the platforms that represent France’s most active network in the world in terms of French teaching hours.

    During the visit, the minister announced the two new Alliance francaise branches: the Alliance francaise of Jaipur which will open a branch in Udaipur and the Alliance francaise of Kolkata which will open a branch in Bhubaneswar.

    At present, there are 15 Alliances francaises in India, with more than 28,000 students. The goal is to make the French language and culture easily accessible everywhere in India.

    The minister on Wednesday also visited the Alliance Francaise de Delhi where she interacted with students. She presented the goals of the Francophonie Summit that France will host for the first time next year.

    Interestingly, the French Minister is of Greek origin and she interacted with the students while sharing her personal story of learning French at an Alliance francaise.

    While responding to a question from ANI on her India visit during the media interaction, the minister said that this was the third time she was in India and that both countries (India and France) share a strong partnership.

    “This is the third time that I am visiting India. I came because we have a very strong partnership and I came to Alliance Francaise today to have a discussion with Indian students who decide to learn French”, the minister said.

    “French is a language of opportunities – economic opportunities, scientific and cultural exchanges…In India, there are many people who want to learn (the language)…The French language belongs to everybody.”, she added.

    The minister while sharing her own journey, said that she is an example of how French is a language of opportunities and cultural exchanges.

    “I became minister of the French Republic, because many many years ago when I was ten years old, I decided to learn French. So here we are”, she said.

    Notably, expanding French teaching in India goes hand in hand with France’s goal to welcome 20,000 Indian students by 2025, and 30,000 by 2030.

    On July 14, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris, France announced the decision to create international classes to ensure smooth integration of Indian students in French academic programmes.

    The “French for All” programme was launched in 2021 by the French Institute in India in coordination with Delhi government schools to offer French classes. For the first time, foreign language classes are being offered in government schools, giving their students the same opportunities as pupils in private schools.

    It has proven to be a great success with more than 3,000 students already opting for these classes. The same programme was launched recently in Telangana, and more are to come.

    In 2024, France will host the Francophonie Summit. The “Organisation International de la Francophonie” is an international organisation comprising 88 Member States.

    Minister of State Zacharopoulou highlighted that the French language does not belong to France alone, but also to a global community of more than 300 million speakers across five continents. She also stressed that French is a “language of opportunity’, opening up many economic, academic and scientific opportunities.

    The French visiting minister on Wednesday also met with Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and discussed cooperation in culture and sustainable development.

    “Held productive discussions today with French Minister @CZacharopoulou on strengthening bilateral ties between India and France. Deliberations focused on fostering cooperation in culture, and sustainable development”, Meenakshi Lekhi wrote on ‘X’. (Ayushi Agarwal/ANI)

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  • Macron vows to enshrine abortion rights in French Constitution

    Macron vows to enshrine abortion rights in French Constitution

    Macron marked International Women’s Day this year, by honouring Halimi and pitching for enshrining the abortion rights for women in the Constitution…reports Asian Lite News

    French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to “enshrine” abortion rights for women in the Constitution to make it “irreversible” by 2024.

    Macron said that draft constitutional law will be sent to the Council of State this week and presented to the Council of Ministers by the end of the year.

    He further said that by 2024, the women’s freedom to have an abortion will be “irreversible”

    “Let us engrave in our Constitution the freedom of women to resort to abortion,” Macron posted on X (formerly Twitter).

    He added, “Based on the work of parliamentarians and associations, the draft constitutional law will be sent to the Council of State this week and presented to the Council of Ministers by the end of the year. In 2024, women’s freedom to have an abortion will be irreversible”.

    Notably, a national law made abortion legal in France in 1975, and no serious threat to its legality exists today. But, the decision of the US Supreme Court last year to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion has galvanized French efforts to protect and recognize abortion as an inalienable right, New York Times reported earlier this year.

    Earlier this year, Macron had announced that a bill would be prepared in the coming months to enshrine in the Constitution the freedom to choose a “voluntary termination of a pregnancy.”

    “Courts in other countries in the world have returned to the question of women’s rights because reactionary ideologues are seeking their revenge on the lawyers and activists who once made them retreat,” NYT quoted Macron as saying.

    In practice, Constitutional revision is a long process requiring either a referendum or agreement by the National Assembly and Senate on an identical text that would have to be voted on by the two houses meeting together at Versailles.

    Macron marked International Women’s Day this year, by honouring Halimi and pitching for enshrining the abortion rights for women in the Constitution.

    Halimi, who died in 2020 aged 93, was a Tunisian-born French attorney and socialist lawmaker widely recognized for her unstinting struggle for the legalization of abortion in France, which occurred two years after the Roe vs Wade ruling in the US, NYT reported. (ANI)

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  • 8 French airports forced to evacuate for security reasons

    8 French airports forced to evacuate for security reasons

    The venue was forced to evacuate on Tuesday due to a suspicious item, and over the weekend due to a bomb threat. On October 14, the Louvre museum in Paris was closed for security reasons but reopened the following day…reports Asian Lite News

    Eight airports in France were forced to evacuate over security reasons, according to media reports. The airports that were affected on Wednesday were the one in Beauvais near Paris, Strasbourg, Nantes, Biarritz, Toulouse, Lille, Lyon-Bron and Nice, reports CNN citing local media.

    The Beauvais airport said it was evacuated “following an anonymous threat received by several French hubs”. It later announced that it was in the process of reopening. According to the French BFMTV, the Strasbourg and Nantes were evacuated due to a bomb threat.

    Meanwhile, the airports in Biarritz, Toulouse, Lille iand Lyon-Bron were evacuated due to a bomb scare, but all four resumed operations after following police operations. Nice airport resumed services on Wednesday evening after it was evacuating due to an unattended item earlier in the day, CNN reported.

    Also on Wednesday, the Palace of Versailles near Paris was evacuated visitors for security reasons for the third time in less than a week. The popular tourist destination reopened to visitors later in the day.

    The venue was forced to evacuate on Tuesday due to a suspicious item, and over the weekend due to a bomb threat. On October 14, the Louvre museum in Paris was closed for security reasons but reopened the following day.

    Last week, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne placed the country under the highest security alert after an assailant fatally stabbed a teacher and injured three other people at a school in the northern city of Arras. The attack on October 13 came nearly three years since the murder and beheading of another teacher, Samuel Paty, at his school outside Paris.

    The perpetrator of that attack, 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, a Russian refugee, was shot dead by police. France has been hit by a series of Islamist attacks in recent years.

    The worst was in November 2015 when gunmen and suicide bombers attacked entertainment venues and cafes in Paris, killing 130 people. The attack was claimed by Daesh.

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  • India, France Hold Military Sub Committee Meeting in New Delhi

    India, France Hold Military Sub Committee Meeting in New Delhi

    Major General Eric Peltier, General Officer, International Military Relations of the Joint Staff attended the meeting from the French side….reports Asian Lite News

    India’s Air Vice Marshal, Assistant Chief of Integrated Staff, (Military Cooperation), Ashish Vohra co-chaired the two-day 21st edition of the India-France Military Sub Committee (MSC) meeting at the Air Force Station here in the national capital, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

    Moreover, Major General Eric Peltier, General Officer, International Military Relations of the Joint Staff attended the meeting from the French side.

    According to the statement, in the meeting which was held on October 16 to 17, both sides discussed ties focussed on new initiatives under the ambit of existing bilateral defence cooperation mechanisms and strengthening ongoing defence engagements.

    India-France MSC is a forum established to progress defence cooperation between both nations through regular talks at strategic and operational levels between HQ, Integrated Defence Staff and the Joint Staff HQ of the French Armed Forces, according to MOD press release.

    Earlier on October 12, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with the French Armed Forces minister Sebastien Lecornu in Paris and emphasized that the India-France partnership has deepened over the years.

    Sharing on his social media ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, he said, “Had an excellent meeting with the French Minister for the Armed Forces, Mr Sebastien Lecornu in Paris. India-France strategic partnership has deepened over years and is more relevant today than ever.” (ANI)

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  • France Ready to Welcome 30K Indian Students by 2030

    France Ready to Welcome 30K Indian Students by 2030

    France and India have been sharing a very strong connection regarding student and research mobility, as well as academic cooperation…reports Asian Lite News

    Indian students willing to go to France for higher studies sometimes face visa related issues. This may no longer be the case as France is willing to welcome the students, said Thierry Mathou, the Ambassador of France to India.

    Mathou said that President Emmanuel Macron has conveyed that France is willing to welcome 30,000 Indian students within its higher institutions by 2030.

    The French Ambassador Thierry Mathou also discussed the recent measures regarding the five-year short-stay Schengen visa. He said that France believes that when an Indian student spends even just a semester in France, it creates a connection that ought to be fostered and cherished.

    Since this summer, Indian students who hold a Master’s degree or above and have spent at least a semester studying in France are eligible for a 5-year short-stay Schengen visa. This is a special provision for Indian alumni to enable them to keep close links with France and their French counterparts.

    During an interaction in New Delhi the Ambassador replied to several questions and described the policies of the French government. Excerpts from the interview:

    How will providing a five-year Schengen visa help Indian students?

    The recent measure regarding 5-year short-stay Schengen visa, France believes that when an Indian student spends even just a semester in France, it creates a connection that ought to be fostered and cherished.

    Since this summer, Indian students who hold a Master’s degree or above and have spent at least a semester studying in France are eligible for a 5-year short-stay Schengen visa. This is a special provision for Indian alumni to enable them to keep close links with France and their French counterparts.

    Is the French government also trying to target Indian students who opt for Canada?

    We are trying to target all the youngsters.

    Is there any plan to expedite the process, as there are a lot of pending visa applications?

    It’s our priority, as I said. We have done some benchmarking; going to France is much easier as compared to other countries, and we try to do everything to make the process easier.

    Is there any specific sector that France is targeting to enroll students in?

    Yes, we already have a lot of students in our business programme, and we are very happy to enroll students in engineering as well. I will say that this is a top priority for us because we have a strategic partnership in many sectors, including engineering and design.

    During this event students will have a chance to get first-hand information from representatives of 50 leading universities, Grandes Ecoles, and colleges about the programmes they can attend. These programmes span a wide range of fields.

    Among them we have 22 business and management schools, 17 engineering schools, three arts and design schools, five public universities, two hospitality and tourism schools and one French language school.

    How many students are targeted for this season?

    As I said, our target for 2030 is 30,000 students. As much as we can, we’ll be happy. The success of this event shows how eager young people are to study in France.

    How the recent announcement on Education or academic cooperation after Prime Minister Modi’s visit will help both the countries?

    For several years now, France and India have been sharing a very strong connection regarding student and research mobility, as well as academic cooperation.

    During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France on the occasion of Bastille Day last July, different measures have been taken to reinforce France and India’s strong partnerships on that matter. President Emmanuel Macron explained that France is willing to welcome 30 000 Indian students within its higher institutions by 2030.

    Additionally, international classes will be created within universities in order to admit non-francophone students in standard French bachelor programmes after one year of training.

    Their commitment to strengthening academic ties is further evident with the establishment of over 600 partnerships between French and Indian institutions.

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  • France to Arrange More Chartered Flights for Stranded Nationals

    France to Arrange More Chartered Flights for Stranded Nationals

    The government is also in close contact with the national flag carrier Air France to resume commercial flights to Israel as soon as possible, it added…reports Asian Lite News

    The French government will arrange more chartered flights on October 13 and 14 to repatriate its nationals currently stranded in Israel, the country’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has announced.

    The ministry said on Thursday that unaccompanied minors, pregnant women and people with disabilities or in urgent medical conditions will be given priority to board these flights, Xinhua news agency reported.

    The government is also in close contact with the national flag carrier Air France to resume commercial flights to Israel as soon as possible, it added.

    On Thursday, a flight was scheduled to leave Tel Aviv at 1440 GMT and reach Paris-Charles De Gaulle Airport at 1835 GMT.

    The ministry said that at least 12 French nationals were killed, and 17 others were missing in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

    French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to address the nation at 1800 GMT on Thursday over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

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  • Rajnath meets CEOs of top French defence firms in Paris 

    Rajnath meets CEOs of top French defence firms in Paris 

    Rajnath Singh reached Paris late on October 10 and interacted with the Indian community…reports Asian Lite News

    Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met with the CEOs of the top French defence companies with a focus on their plans for collaboration with India in France.

    During the interaction Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault; Pierre Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group; Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus; and Olivier Andries, CEO of Safran Group were present.

    Union Minister visited the Safran Engine Division’s R&D Centre at Gennevilliers near Paris, France during the second and final leg of his two-nation tour.

    During his visit to the Centre, he witnessed the latest developments in aero-engine technology.

    Olivier Andries, Global CEO Safran welcomed Rajnath Singh to the facility and, along with his team, gave a detailed briefing to him. Safran expressed interest in being a part of the Indian growth story by working with its counterparts on mutually agreed joint projects.

    Singh highlighted the advantages of co-development and co-production in India, including the possibility of exports to third countries. He underlined the inherent advantages of the Indian market such as a large, skilled HR base, world-class infrastructure and a strong legal architecture, the release stated.

    Later in the day, Rajnath Singh will be holding the fifth Annual Defence Dialogue with the French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu.

    Rajnath Singh reached Paris late on October 10 and interacted with the Indian community.

    While addressing the sizeable Indian community at the India House, he highlighted the various achievements of India in the defence sector such as increased defence exports, increasing indigenous production of defence equipment, concerted efforts on co-development and co-production in India and an enhanced outreach in the region.

    The Defence Minister spoke about the tremendous progress achieved in India in the last nine years, an assessment that was heartily supported by the Indian community. (ANI)

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