India and France have a long-standing and multifaceted relationship, based on shared values, mutual trust, and strategic convergence. The two countries have established a strategic partnership in 1998, which covers various domains such as defense, security, nuclear energy, space, climate change, education, culture, and people-to-people ties. The two countries have also enhanced their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where they share a common vision of a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order. India and France have also launched several initiatives to promote global public goods, such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
Emmanuel Macron’s Visit to India: A Historic Occasion
The President of the French Republic, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, will visit India on January 26, 2024, as the Chief Guest on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day of India. This will be his second visit to India, after his first one in March 2018, when he co-chaired the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
President Macron’s visit to India comes after the historic visit of Prime Minister Modi to Paris on July 13-14, 2023, as the Guest of Honour on the occasion of the French National Day on 14 July 2023, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership.
President Macron’s visit to India will be an opportunity to review the progress and chart the future course of the bilateral relations, as well as to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The two leaders are expected to hold extensive talks on various aspects of the strategic partnership, and to witness the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding in various fields.
The two leaders will also jointly address the India-France Business Forum, where they will interact with the representatives of the industry, trade, and innovation sectors of both countries. President Macron will also address the Indian youth at a special event, where he will share his vision of the India-France partnership and the role of the youth in shaping the future of the world.
President Macron’s visit to India will also be marked by several cultural and symbolic events, such as the inauguration of the renovated Bada Imambara in Lucknow, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where he will pay tribute to the shared heritage and diversity of India and France. He will also visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, one of the wonders of the world, and the symbol of eternal love. He will also witness the grandeur and vibrancy of the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi, where the French contingent will participate along with the Indian armed forces.
President Macron’s visit to India will be a historic occasion to celebrate the friendship and partnership between the two countries, and to reaffirm their commitment to work together for a better world.
Macron will be the fifth French leader to be the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day, after President Jacques Chirac in 1998, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in 1999, President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, and President Francois Hollande in 2016.
