With India and France celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations, Outlook's Rajiv Nayan Chaturvedi caught up with France ambassador Emmanuel Lanain to speak on Indo-French cultural ties and similarities.
India and France are celebrating 75 years of their diplomatic relationship. With the plans to consolidate this bond even stronger, French cultural-educational network in India held an exhibition titled 'Science Beyond Borders: Connecting the Dots between India and France' in New Delhi. To know more, Outlook’s Rajiv Nayan Chaturvedi caught up with France ambassador Emmanuel Lanain.
Here are the edited excerpts:
What are the focus areas as far as you want to take India and French relationships forward?
Well, I mean, we have an amazing friendship between two countries, but at the core of it is people to people relationship, otherwise, there's no friendship lasting between two cultures. So the key priority is to make even more people to people exchanges between the two countries and we are working together on it.
How are France and India planning to go forward as far as art and culture are concerned?
We are already doing a lot. We are collaborating on many fronts with India. For example, India wants to have more professional museums in this place of beauty. We have a lot of expertise in that and I think we can help.
What sort of commonality do you draw between Indian and French culture?
We are two different countries and we respect each other. Culture plays an important part in our day to day life and it's really a way of life for us. I don't think India and France could just live a plain ordinary life without this additional layer of culture. Moving ahead, most importantly, for us culture is all about diversity. India is richest in terms of diversity but France and Europe enjoys the same flavour. I think this should be treasured.
How do you see the importance of Art in letting democracies thrive?
It is very important to nourish culture because it cultivates the best instinct. In French we say music makes your behavior more kinder and nicer and pretty much that is true about any other form of art also. In short, culture clearly shows the image of any country.
India and France have completed 75 years of their diplomatic relationship. How do you see the journey and what is next on the plate for the next 15 years?
It has been a wonderful journey. We have just completed 75 years of our diplomatic relationship and we are cooperating in almost every field. As for as the next 15 years are concerned, we are going to do everything, whatever we need to do. We will try together to address the challenges we have. We will share experiences, technologies and try to find all the solutions together.
What sort of challenges do India and France face?
The challenges we have now are cyber. Everything today depends on how we would protect our society from different threats. The second is AI. We will try to master AI so that we will not be its slave.
Why has Paris attracted artists so much across the world and still does?
First of all we are very welcoming. Second, Paris is a beautiful city in the world and I think artists enjoy our way of life, food and our passion for beauty and culture. I think Paris and France are great because they attract artists and creators from all across the planet.
From a cultural point of view, tell us one thing that Indians have that France doesn't?
Biryani. I love Biryani and I don't think we have a dish that is so spicy.