DCP-2018-U-017085-Final
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Copyright 2018 CNA Corp©
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CNA Roundtable Proceedings:
France’s Strategic Interests in the Indian Ocean
Rapporteur: Mary Ellen Connell
January 18, 2018
On January 18, 2018, CNA convened a roundtable to discuss France’s strategic interests in the Indian
Ocean. Nilanthi Samaranayake, Director of CNA’s Indian Ocean and South Asia Security Program,
framed the discussion by noting the expanding role of extraregional actors operating in the Indian
Ocean, including Japan, China, and France. The United States, Japan, India, and Australia have
revamped their “Quad” discussions over the past year. However, Ms. Samaranayake noted, France
has a range of territorial, economic, and security interests in the Indian Ocean, and the roundtable
offered an opportunity to examine those interests and potential opportunities to deepen U.S.-French
cooperation in the region.
Admiral James Foggo, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces
Africa, was not able to participate personally in the roundtable but he sent remarks highlighting the
strategic alliance between the U.S. and French navies and urging that the existing robust “esprit de
corps” be harnessed to promote maritime security and regional stability in the Indian Ocean. ADM
Foggo advanced several specific suggestions for U.S.-French naval cooperation in the region,
including exploring new opportunities and venues to engage with China’s navy, especially in East
Africa and the wider Indian Ocean; inviting India to observe (and later participate in) the CUTLASS
EXPRESS exercise sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and executed by U.S. Naval Forces
Africa; and building on France’s newly formalized strategic relationships with India, Australia, and
South Africa. ADM Foggo’s statement follows.
The principal speaker at the January 18 CNA roundtable was French security policy expert Dr.
Iskander Rehman, Senior Fellow for International Relations at the Pell Center for International
Relations and Public Policy at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island. Dr. Rehman’s paper
concludes this document.
As Dr. Rehman explained, among the growing number of states with a presence in the Indian Ocean,
France has a fairly unique position as a European Union member which is also a nation of the Indian
Ocean Rim. La Réunion and Mayotte, former colonies of France acquired in the late 17th century /
early 18th century, are now departments of France. Today, more than 1.5 million French citizens and
130,000 French expatriates live in the Indo-Pacific region, where France has significant commercial
and strategic interests. Dr. Rehman noted that French investment capital in the Indo-Pacific is four
times greater than Asian investments in France.
In the Indian Ocean, France delineates two strategic theaters: the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Aden; and
the Southwest Indian Ocean. From inter-service military bases in Djibouti and Abu Dhabi, France
pursues a range of missions, including: countering terrorism; fighting ISIS; containing Iran’s
ambitions; fulfilling informal security guarantees to Gulf state partners; ensuring the free flow of
shipping; and projecting force into the Indian Ocean. In the Southwest Indian Ocean, France seeks to
defend French national territory and French citizens in La Réunion and Mayotte and a vast exclusive
