Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to France on Saturday and departed the country for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the second leg of his visit.
In the UAE, Modi is scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
During his two-day visit to France, Modi attended the Bastille Day Parade as the Guest of Honour, held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, Senate President Gerard Larcher, National Assembly Speaker Yaël Braun-Pivet, and a host of prominent personalities.
Modi and Macron also met top French business leaders to discuss business opportunities between the two countries.
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Seeing the Indian contingent was wonderful: PM Modi
In a message shared on Twitter before emplaning for UAE, PM Modi said that it was wonderful to see the Indian contingent's participation in the Bastille Day Parade.
Modi joined Macron to attend the Bastille Day Parade as the Guest of Honour. A tri-services Indian contingent marched in the parade and Indian Rafale fighter planes also performed a flyby.
Modi tweeted, "Seeing the Indian contingent get a pride of place in the parade was wonderful. I am grateful to President Emmanuel Macron and the French people for the exceptional warmth and hospitality. May India-France friendship continue to soar!"
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PM Modi held wide-ranging talks with French President Macron
PM Modi held wide-ranging talks with French President Macron, covering futuristic areas such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, semiconductors, etc. as well as the strategic and national security domains.
He tweeted, "The talks with my friend, President Emmanuel Macron were very productive. We reviewed the full range of India-France relations. I am particularly enthusiastic about deepening cooperation in futuristic sectors like green hydrogen, renewable energy, AI, semiconductors and more.
"India and France will keep working together to boost the innovation and StartUp ecosystems. Climate change and sustainable development also featured prominently in our discussions. Equally noteworthy was the emphasis on tech and defence."
In remarks on Friday, at a time when the India and France are celebrating 25 years of strategic partnership, Modi said that the two countries are working on a roadmap to further strengthen bilateral relations over the next 25 years.
After being received by Macron at the Elysee Palace, Modi also spoke of the French role in self-reliance efforts, dubbed as the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, under which the Modi government has sought to boost indigenous production.
He said, "France is an important partner in ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat...Be it submarines or naval aircraft, together we want to fulfil not just ours but also the requirements of other friendly countries."
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Modi also touched on the global repercussions and disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine War.
He said, "This is a matter of concern. To find solutions to such problems, it is important for countries to make efforts unitedly. We believe that all disputes can be resolved only through dialogue and diplomacy. India is willing to contribute to lasting peace."
On terrorism, Modi said, "In the fight against terrorism, India and France have been together. We believe that strong action needs to be taken against cross-border terrorism."
Modi also said India and France have agreed to launch India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in France.
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Modi also announced that India would open a new Consulate in Marseilles in southern France.
Earlier on Thursday, the French government honoured Modi with Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest honour of the country. He is the only Prime Minister of India to be conferred this honour.
Modi attends Bastille Day Parade as Guest of Honour
Earlier on Friday, Modi attended the Bastille Day Parade along with Macron as the Guest of Honour.
A tri-services contingent of India also participated in the parade and Rafael fighter planes conducted a fly-past.
On the occasion, Macron tweeted, "A giant in world history, with a decisive role to play in the future, a strategic partner, a friend.We are proud to welcome India as our guest of honour at the 14 July parade...This 14 July, soldiers and Rafale aircraft from India are marching and flying alongside our troops...We honour the memory of those who fought with the French in the First World War. We shall never forget."
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The Bastille Day is the national holiday of France which marks the storming of Bastille in 1989, which was the beginning of the French Revolution.
On his part, Modi tweeted, "On this historic occasion of Bastille Day, joined the parade in Paris. My heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome and honour received," Prime Minister Modi tweeted along with pictures of the impressive march-past...India, inspired by its centuries old ethos, is committed to doing everything possible to make our planet peaceful, prosperous and sustainable. 1.4 billion Indians will always be grateful to France for being a strong and trusted partner. May the bond deepen even further!"
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Earlier on Thursday, Modi also met French PM Borne and Senate President Larcher.
"PM Narendra Modi held fruitful talks with PM Elisabeth Borne in Paris. The leaders reviewed various facets of India-France partnership as well as discussed measures to further strengthen the ties between both the countries," sad the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a tweet.
Modi also had a "productive meeting" with Larcher and the two leaders deliberated on a range of issues of mutual interest and agreed to work together to deepen India-France cooperation in a number of areas, said the PMO.
Visit to UAE will usher in a new chapter in our ties: PM Modi
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In a statement released before he left for UAE, PM Modi said that he confident that the "visit to UAE will usher in a new chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership".
Modi will meet the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, during his visit to the UAE.
"Our two countries are engaged across a wide range of sectors such as trade, investments, energy, food security, science & technology, education, fintech, defence, security, and robust people-to-people ties. Last year, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and I agreed on a Roadmap on the future of our partnership, and I look forward to discussing with him how to further deepen our ties," said Modi in the statement.
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The India-UAE relationship has been on an upward trajectory in recent years. In 2019, the UAE conferred Order of Zayed on Modi, the highest civilian honour of UAE.
