France hosts Modi as Bastille Day guest of honor
July 14, 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honor at the French Bastille Day celebrations on Friday as France aims to strengthen its cooperation with India.
President Emmanuel Macron Macron and Modi attended the joint march of French and Indian soldiers along the Champs-Elysees.
Rafale fighter jets, which India acquired in 2015, participated in a fly-past over the Arc de Triomphe.
Macron and Modi meet for talks at the presidential palace
Following the Bastille Day parade, Macron hosted Modi at the Elysee Palace for bilateral discussions. A state banquet at the Louvre Museum follows the talks.
"We were able to all see a marvelous image of our cooperation on sea, land and in the skies," Modi told Macron during a press conference following talks at the presidential palace.
"We defend the same idea together of the Indo-Pacific, a space that must remain open and free of all hegemonic power," Macron said at the press conference.
Modi's visit coincides with the celebration of 25 years of strategic partnership between France and India.
The Indian Prime Minister referred to Macron as his "friend" during a speech to Indians residing in France, saying their friendship was "a reflection of the unwavering friendship between India and France."
Macron calls India 'a giant of world history'
Modi's visit also saw the two countries agree on significant defense deals.
India has given preliminary approval to purchase 26 additional Rafale jets for its navy and three Scorpene class submarines. The total value of these acquisitions is estimated to be around $9.75 billion (€8.68 billion).
While differences exist between the two nations over issues like the war in Ukraine and human rights in India, Western democracies see India, under Modi's leadership, as a crucial military and economic counterbalance to China.
On Thursday, Macron in a conversation with military leaders called India "a giant of world history which will have a decisive role for our future."
For several decades, France has maintained a close partnership with India. In 1998, when India conducted nuclear tests, France was the only Western nation that refrained from imposing sanctions on New Delhi.
Additionally, India has heavily relied on French fighter jets for the past 40 years, underscoring the relations between the two countries in the defense sector.
Heightened police presence across France
This year's Bastille Day celebrations are set to be a somber affair in light of the recent unrest triggered by the police shooting of a teenager in Paris. The city witnessed several consecutive nights of riots, resulting in widespread damage and chaos.
Around 45,000 police will be deployed across France, and fireworks sales have been banned in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the urban violence seen at the end of June.
"We're not worried about anything. We're just being careful," the head of the Paris police, Laurent Nunez, told the BFM channel on Thursday.
There has also been criticism regarding the decision to honor Modi at the celebrations. Modi's visit comes at a time when violence in northeastern Manipur state in India continues unabated.
On Thursday, the EU parliamentarians approved a motion urging India to end violence in Manipur and to protect minorities there, especially Christians. Clashes there have left at least 120 people dead, 50,000 displaced and over 1,700 houses destroyed, the parliament said.
ss/sms (Reuters, AFP, AP)