A military contingent comprising all three services will participate in the Bastille Day celebrations in France on July 14 where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour.
Official sources noted that Modi’s visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership.
Stressing the significance of the Indian prime minister’s pride of place in the event, they said it is not common for foreign leaders to be invited as a guest of honour on Bastille Day and the last time it was done was in 2017 when the then US President was invited.
“Even rarer is having foreign marching contingents and foreign aircraft participate in it,” an official said.
The French National Day, or Bastille Day, occupies a special place in the French consciousness as it commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison during the French Revolution in 1789. The Bastille Day parade is the highlight of the celebrations.
The sources said Modi’s itinerary also underscores his warm personal chemistry with French President Emmanuel Macron as the French leader will have multiple meetings with the prime minister, including a private dinner and joint meeting with CEOs besides the state banquet at the iconic Louvre Museum on the Bastille Day.
Modi will interact with the entire political leadership of France, including the French prime minister, the presidents of the senate (Upper House) and the national assembly (Lower House), they said, adding that a key focus of his visit will be trade and economy with a CEO forum to be held comprising leading names from the two countries.
The visit will mark close collaboration not just on bilateral matters but also on what the two countries can do on global issues, they said.
Modi will interact with prominent French personalities and speak to members of the Indian community at the prestigious La Seine Musicale, they said.
Modi’s visit has been preceded by numerous activities organised by the Indian embassy, including ‘Namaste France’ earlier this week.
The sources expressed confidence about key outcomes being achieved in several sectors, including technology, space, defence, geostrategy, infrastructure, energy, climate action, museology, student mobility, people-to-people, sports and culture.
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