COMMENT | Franco-M'sian partnership: Building a better future together

COMMENT | “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”. Each year on July 14, France celebrates its national day. If this day reminds us of the storming of the Bastille, a fortress and political prison, by the people of Paris in 1789, it refers to “the Festival of the Federation” which one year after, in 1790, celebrated both freedom and national unity.

These two universal principles also guided Malaysia on its road to independence in 1957, and it was only natural that France would be one of the first countries to recognise Malaysia as a sovereign state in the very same year.

This partnership has been deepened through the years and we celebrated last year the 65th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relationships.

However, the Franco-Malaysian story is so much more than those official relations. It is rooted in a rich historical background of people-to-people links, spanning from schools to businesses, from architecture to literature, from renowned figures such as Henri Fauconnier and Jeanne Cuisinier, to companies like Brossard et Mopin and Ayam brand.

This shared history is still in the writing. Earlier this year, French author Serge Jardin published, with the assistance of the French Chamber of Commerce, a touching piece of it in French Memories of Malaysia.

On that note, our relationship is also blessed by its tremendous diversity reflecting France's spirit of creativity, entrepreneurship, scientific advancement, artistic expression and craftsmanship - a spirit that is on display now.

In the realms of education and culture, the Kuala Lumpur and Penang Alliances, the French Festival, the Lycée français de Kuala Lumpur aimed to become a Eurocampus, and numerous university partnerships all contribute to the vibrant exchange between France and Malaysia.

Each day, French and Malaysian chefs make the two exceptional culinary heritages of our respective countries dialogue.

Economically, France has a thriving presence in Malaysia, with more than 450 companies, both large and small, contributing to innovation, job creation, and investment, participating in economic growth and projecting themselves in the whole of Asean.

This is thanks to Malaysia’s precious advantages making it a regional hub: visa policies, infrastructures, a business-friendly environment and an English-speaking society opened to the world.

Politically and geopolitically, we are focused on the future and its challenges. Our two Foreign Ministers Catherine Colonna and Zambry Abdul Kadir, decided to revitalise our bilateral relations in all areas during their meeting on June 2.

We are deepening and enhancing our cooperation in armaments and military affairs, as demonstrated by the successful “Pegase23” air deployment last month with the warm welcome of the Malaysian authorities to which I would like to express my deepest thanks.

Deepening ties

In a world grappling with pressing challenges, including the questioning of the international order based on state sovereignty and the rule of law, enormous developmental needs, climate change, and new technological upheavals brought by artificial intelligence, we must deepen our bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation more than ever before.

As an independent nation, strong with its alliances, a founding member of the European Union and deeply rooted in it, a nation of the Indo-Pacific region, with two million nationals, France remains resolute in addressing these challenges.

France is a proactive country, committed to proposing concrete and cooperative solutions, notably in the Indo-Pacific region, enhancing everyone’s sovereignty, and representing ways that are non-confrontational.

This was the inspiration for the recent Summit for a New Financing Pact held in Paris on June 22-23, which aimed at crafting solutions so that every country will be able to finance both development and the fight against climate change.

This is the inspiration of the Paris Peace Forum, held annually on Nov 11, and we hope for the active participation of Malaysia in this forum.

In this context, France and Malaysia are not merely a tale of the past but an unfolding adventure in the present and in the future, spanning across the realm of politics, military, economy, culture, and education.

Together, let us embark on this journey and write thrilling new chapters in our partnership!

AXEL CRUAU is the ambassador of France to Malaysia.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.