A foreign policy points to a united society that manages its relationships with its surroundings while defending its own interests. 

An exceptional issue of Politique étrangère

Confronted with a world in which the fundamentals are being redefined, France’s foreign policy is under scrutiny. In which geographies should France assert its presence? To which major challenges should France be responding in order to survive in tomorrow’s world? What kind of relationship to that world should France be establishing, as thirty years of Western intervention have ended in catastrophic failure in Afghanistan?

The treaty signed by France and Germany in Aachen on January 22, 2019 highlights the role of civil society in bilateral cooperation and aims to contribute to "bringing societies [and citizens in both countries] closer together".

As the world’s center of gravity has shifted to Asia, the European Union must also be present in the region. In particular, it must develop its relations with Asian countries that have long been neglected to the sole benefit of China -- namely India, but above all the countries of Southeast Asia, where China has invested heavily and will continue to gain influence.

Mineral revenues are the driving force behind Namibia’s economic performance. Namibia is rich in mineral resources which include uranium, diamond, copper, gold, lead, lithium and zinc. However, these mineral riches are not always allocated and utilized in a transparent manner and seem to benefit disproportionately a small number of wealthy elites, many of them affiliated with the ruling party SWAPO.

Although it has largely gone unnoticed in France, the agreement signed on December 3, 2020 between the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) is a major shift in the long-standing relations between the EU and countries in the Global South. 

Cloud computing – or data management – is considered as one of the pillars of the digital transformation of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. 

The links between India and Taiwan have gathered unprecedented momentum in recent years. This has largely come about due to growing support for Taiwan at civil society level in India.