France, the EU, and Canada in the Indo-Pacific

The CGAI Podcast Network · Defence Deconstructed: France, the EU, and Canada in the Indo-Pacific

March 25, 2022

On this episode of Defence Deconstructed, Cleo Paskal is joined by H.E. Kareen Rispal, H.E. Christophe Penot, H.E. Gabriele Visentin, RAdm Jean-Mathieu Rey, and Jonathan Fried to discuss the convergences between the French, European, and Canadian Indo-Pacific visions.

Guests:

Kareen Rispal was the French Ambassador to Canada from 2017 to March 2022. She is now the Inspector General of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Christophe Penot is France's first Ambassador to the Indo-Pacific since October 2021. Previously, he served as France's Ambassador to Australia and was stationed in Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. He also worked in the UK and Canada.
Gabriele Visentin is the EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific since September 2021. He has been an official of the European External Action Service since 2011, where he served as Head of the Parliamentary Affairs Division.
Rear Admiral Jean-Mathieu Rey is the French Joint commander of the Asia-Pacific zone. A senior naval Special Forces officer with operational experience mainly in the Indo Pacific area, he was previously deployed to the French Foreign Ministry as an adviser for security and defence cooperation in Asia and South America.
Jonathan Fried is a former Canadian diplomat whose career spanned law, economics and trade. He is now Senior Advisor with Bennett Jones, LLP, the Albright Stonebridge Group, Senior Associate to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Advisor to Llewellyn Consulting.
Cleo Paskal is an Associate Fellow with Chatham House, London, U.K. and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow for the Indo-Pacific with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Washington, D.C. She serves on the International Board of Advisors, Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies (India) and the International Board of Advisors, Global Counter-Terrorism Council, India.