New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday landed in Paris for his two-day France visit. The prime minister has been invited as the Guest of Honour by French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Bastille Day Parade. PM Modi will be in France on July 13 and 14. Prime Minister Modi will also pay an official visit to UAE on July 15.
Ahead of his departure to France, PM Modi in a statement said he is looking forward to meeting French President Emmanuel Macron and holding discussions on taking forward the partnership between both nations.
PM Modi To Visit France For Bastille Day Parade As Guest of Honour; All You Need To Know #PMModiInFrance #ModiInFrance @journo_abheet https://t.co/5HO2Xhdb4F@PMOIndia@narendramodi@IndiaembFrance@JawedAshraf5@FranceinIndia@E_Lenain pic.twitter.com/VfSA0Wp6vH
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) July 12, 2023
“I look forward to meeting President Macron and holding wide-ranging discussions on taking forward this longstanding and time-tested partnership over the next 25 years. I have had the opportunity to meet President Macron several times since my last Official Visit to France in 2022, most recently in Hiroshima, Japan, in May 2023 during the G-7 Summit,” an official statement released from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Calling his visit to France “special”, PM Modi said that he will join Macron for Bastille Day Celebrations in Paris as the Guest of Honour. He noted that an Indian tri-services contingent will take part in the Bastille Day Parade.
Here’s All You Need To Know
- During his France visit from July 13-14, the Prime Minister will hold formal talks with President Emmanuel Macron. Macron will host a State Banquet as well as a private dinner in honour of the Prime Minister.
- Modi is also scheduled to meet the Prime Minister of France, the Presidents of the Senate, and the National Assembly of France. He will separately interact with the Indian diaspora in France, CEOs of Indian and French companies, and prominent French personalities.
- This year marks the 25th anniversary of the India–France Strategic Partnership and Prime Minister’s visit will provide an opportunity to chart the course of the partnership for the future across diverse sectors such as strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic cooperation.
- French National Day, or Bastille Day, occupies a special place in French consciousness. This day commemorates Storming of the Bastille Prison in 1789 during the French Revolution. The Bastille Day Parade is the highlight of the Bastille Day Celebrations.
- However, it is uncommon for foreign politicians to be invited as the Guest of Honour for Bastille Day (in 2017, the then US President Donald Trump had been given the invitation). Participation by foreign marching bands and aircraft is even more unusual.
- PM Modi will take a trip to Abu Dhabi on July 15. He will hold talks with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
- The India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has been steadily strengthening and Prime Minister’s visit will be an opportunity to identify ways to take this forward in various domains such as energy, education, healthcare, food security, fintech, defence and culture.
- It will also be an opportunity to discuss cooperation on global issues, particularly in the context of UAE’s presidency of COP-28 of the UNFCCC and India’s G-20 presidency, in which UAE is a Special Invitee.