French embassy organises lecture on ‘India Turns East’

Islamabad: French Embassy and Alliance francaise d Islamabad Wednesday organised a lecture by famous French researcher Dr Frederic Grare on his book India Turns East here at the department of International Relations in Quaid-i-Azam University.

The event was attended by the French Ambassador in Pakistan Marc Baréty along with the diplomats from different countries, faculty members and the students of the university and media.

Fredric’s book India Turns East tells the story of India’s long and difficult journey to reclaim its status in a rapidly changing Asian environment increasingly shaped by the uncertainties of US commitment to Asia’s security.

During his lecture he pointed out the rampant importance of China as a strong international player and as an influencer in South Asia. He said no country in a world, including India, wants to have a bad reroute with China.

He said China’s increasing mighty military power is not the only concern for India but it is also observing its political influence not only in the region but globally too. New Delhi is desperate to have some recognition from Beijing to ensure its ties with the next international power, he added.

Fredric said India is, still, the least economically integrated country in the region, though it is now looking to broaden its horizon as its forwarding towards countries from Latin America and Australia. Frederic Grare is a non-resident senior fellow in Carnegie’s South Asia Programme.

His research focuses on South Asian security issues and the search for a security architecture. He also works on India’s Look East policy, Afghanistan and Pakistan’s regional policies, and the tension between stability and democratisation, including civil-military relations, in Pakistan.