Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host French President Emmanuel Macron today in Varanasi, where the two leaders will participate in several programmes, including a boat ride on river Ganga.
The two leaders will first visit Mirzapur, where they will inaugurate a solar power plant, before returning to Varanasi, official sources said.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Electricite de France SA and India’s monopoly atomic energy producer, Nuclear Power Corp., to accelerate discussions on a contract and start work at the site in Jaitapur, in Maharashtra state, by December.
“Once installed, the Jaitapur project will be the largest nuclear power plant in the world, with a total capacity of 9.6 gigawatts,” according to a joint statement issued Saturday by the governments during Macron’s visit to India.
PM Modi and French President Macron at Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul LIVE:
PM Modi and French President Macron in Mirzapur to inaugurate solar power plant LIVE:
International equipment makers have been hesitant to move forward with projects in India because the nation’s nuclear liability law exposes reactor suppliers to claims for damages during an accident. That complicates India’s plans to expand its nuclear power capacity more than ninefold by 2032.
In the statement, the two leaders “welcomed the understanding shared by the two parties on the enforcement of India’s rules and regulations on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages applicable to the Jaitapur project.”
The security has been beefed-up in the city for their visit.
In Varanasi, the two leaders will visit the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul and interact with artisans. They will also witness a live demonstration of their crafts.
PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Varanasi LIVE:
Prime Minister Modi and President Macron will then arrive at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, where they will board a boat for a ride along the ghats of the Ganga. The boat ride will end at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat.
Modi will also host a lunch in the honour of the French President.
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will flag off a train from Varanasi’s Maduadih Railway Station to Patna.
Modi will leave the hotel for the DLW helipad and the French president will stay at the hotel for the next few hours after which he will fly back to Delhi by the his special plane.
From DLW helipad, Modi will reach the Manduadih railway station by road, where he will flag off the Varanasi-Patna intercity train.
The Prime Minister will also address a public meeting and then will fly back to Delhi from the Varanasi airport, an official said.