German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

European Approaches to the Indo-Pacific

Italy is one of the few major European countries without a formal Indo-Pacific strategy. This policy-oriented project aims at assisting the Italian government in deciding on whether to adopt such a strategy and to identify lessons that can be learned from France and Germany's Indo-Pacific engagements.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy, 2026

Cooperation Partners

Torino World Affairs Institute (T.wai)German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)Center for International Studies, SciencesPo (CERI)l’Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO)

Head

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Oliver Schramm

Diplomat in Residence and Fellow

Prof. Giuseppe Gabusi

Research Questions

* What kind of approaches have Italy's main EU partners with Indo-Pacific strategies, i.e., France and Germany, pursued and how effective have their Indo-Pacific focused activities been?
* Are there any lessons Italy should draw from France and Germany's Indo-Pacific engagement?
* Should Italy adopt a formal Indo-Pacific strategy?
* Does the EU strategy need an updated strategy for cooperation with the Indo-Pacific?

The project proceeds in four steps:
1. Workshop in Paris in January 2026 to discuss individual contributions to policy report.
2. Finalisation of individual contributions by late April 2026.
3. Closed-door meeting with Italian diplomats in Rome in late May to present findings and discuss recommendations.
4. Open-access policy report published by T.wai in late June 2026.

Contribution to International Research

Policy-oriented research project commissioned by Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale.

Research Design and Methods

* Case studies of France and Germany's Indo-Pacific engagement over time and with respect to particular action areas thereof.
* Discussion of possible lacunae and blind spots of these strategies.
* Identification of future pathways of France and Germany's Indo-Pacific engagement.
* Identification of policy lessons for Italy.

The Sciences Po Series in International Relations and Political Economy | Palgrave Macmillan | 08/2025

Order and Agency in the Indo-Pacific

This book offers perspectives on Indo-Pacific dynamics by a set of experts who have collaborated in the Franco-German Observatory of the Indo-Pacific. The volume speaks to and enriches scholarly discussions on the nexus of order(ing) and agency in that strategic space.

Prof. Dr. Delphine Allès

Dr. Christophe Jaffrelot

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | 13/12/2023

Franco-German Observatory of the Indo-Pacific webinar on Lithuania's Indo-Pacific strategy

Organiser: German Institute for Global and Area Studies Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Moderator), Prof. Dr. David Camroux (Moderator)

Patrick Köllner co-moderated the 22nd Franco-German Observatory of the Indo-Pacific webinar "The Origins and Prospects of Lithuania‘s Indo-Pacific Strategy", featuring Associate Professor Linas Didvalis, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania.