Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-day visit to France on 13th July Thursday, where he was recognised as the guest of honor and engaged in discussions regarding significant new defense agreements on the first day. French President Emmanuel Macron extended a warm welcome to the leader, known for his Hindu nationalist ideology, which comes just weeks after PM Modi received the exceptional privilege of a state dinner at the White House in Washington.
The French President Emmanuel Macron has bestowed the title of guest of honor upon PM Modi for the military parade scheduled for July 14, which serves as the centerpiece of France’s National day celebrations. The participation of Indian troops and French-manufactured fighter jets flown by Indian pilots serves as a testament to the strong defense cooperation between the two nations.
Here’s the tweet that PM Narendra Modi posted.
Reasons for India-France strong ties:
- Shared values and vision: Both countries are democracies with a strong commitment to human rights and the rule of law. They also share a vision for a multipolar world order and a commitment to multilateralism.
- Strategic partnership: India and France have a strategic partnership that covers all aspects of bilateral cooperation, including defense, civil nuclear energy, space, and security. They have also worked together on a number of regional and global issues, such as climate change and counter-terrorism.
- Economic ties: France is a major investor in India, and the two countries have a growing trade relationship. In 2022, India’s exports to France were worth $7.3 billion, while its imports from France were worth $10.2 billion.
- People-to-people ties: There are strong people-to-people ties between India and France. There are about 100,000 Indians living in France, and there are also a large number of French citizens who are interested in India.
Cooperation between India and France in different areas:
- Defense: India and France have a long history of defense cooperation. In recent years, this cooperation has intensified, with the two countries signing a number of agreements, including a 2016 agreement to jointly develop six Rafale fighter jets.
- Civil nuclear energy: India and France are also cooperating in the civil nuclear energy sector. In 2008, the two countries signed a landmark agreement to cooperate on the development of nuclear power plants in India.
- Space: India and France are also cooperating in the space sector. The two countries have a joint satellite program, and they are also working together on a number of other space-related projects.
- Security: India and France are also cooperating on a number of security issues, including counter-terrorism and cyber security. In 2018, the two countries signed an agreement to establish a joint cyber security center.
Conclusion
India and France have a strong and growing relationship, and PM Narendra Modi’s visit to France 2023 is an opportunity to further strengthen this relationship. This also led to discussion about ways to cooperate on a range of issues, including the Indo-Pacific region, climate change, and counter-terrorism.