PM Modi, President Macron’s special friendship marked by extraordinary gestures during France visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France has been marked by an exceptional display of camaraderie and respect from President Emmanuel Macron, showcasing the strength of their bilateral relationship.

From shared moments at the AI Action Summit to travelling together in a joint motorcade and even on the same plane to Marseille, the two leaders have highlighted their close personal and diplomatic ties.

On the first day, President Macron spent time with PM Modi at the dinner hosted by him. The camaraderie continued the next day at the AI Action Summit, where India and France co-hosted the summit.

Demonstrating their close ties, they hosted the India-France CEOs Forum together, reflecting their shared vision for economic collaboration.

In an extraordinary gesture of friendship, both the leaders also travelled together in a joint motorcade and in the same plane to Marseille. President Macron hosted PM Modi for a working dinner in Marseille immediately on landing.

Today, this special bond will be further highlighted as President Macron will PM Modi to inaugurate the Indian Consulate in Marseille. They will also visit the ITER project and the Marseille port together, underscoring the depth of this unique partnership.

Notably, PM Modi is currently on a visit to France from February 10-12. He co-chaired the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.

Following this, PM Modi will visit the United States on February 12-13 and hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump and other senior leaders of the US administration.

PM Modi, upon his arrival in the French city of Marseille, highlighted the significance of the Indian Consulate in the city, which will play a key role in strengthening “people-to-people” ties between India and France.

Marseille is a key gateway for trade between India and France due to its strategic location on the Mediterranean coast, it is also among the entry points for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

He also mentioned that he would pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who fell as “martyrs” during the First and Second World Wars.

Earlier in January 2024, Macron paid a state visit to India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day of India. That was President Macron’s second state visit to India and the sixth visit by a French leader as Guest of Honour for the Republic Day.

At the time, PM Modi and President Macron had reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in Horizon 2047 and other documents from the July 2023 Summit.

India is one of France’s closest partners: our two countries have long enjoyed a relationship of trust and mutual respect, and have been strategic partners since 1998. In 2023, France and India celebrated 25 years of their strategic partnership, as per the French Embassy in New Delhi.