PM in France updates | PM Modi asks Indian, French business leaders to work for advancing friendship between two sides

PM Narendra Modi to arrive at Louvre Museum in Paris to attend banquet dinner. French President Emmanuel Macron and French First Lady Brigitte Macron to welcome him.

In view of the uptick in defence industrial collaborations between the two countries, India is setting up a Technical Office of the DRDO at its Embassy in Paris: MEA

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To enable progress on the IMRH programme, a Shareholders’ Agreement between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India and Safran Helicopter Engine, France has been concluded for engine development.

India and France hail the success of the first Scorpene submarine construction programme (P75 – Kalvari), a model of Make in India and the sharing of naval expertise between companies in the two countries. They welcome the MoU between Mazgon Dockyard Ltd and Naval Group for the construction of three additional submarines under the P75 programme. India and France are ready to explore more ambitious projects to develop the Indian submarine fleet and its performance, the MEA said.

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Long live the French-Indian friendship!, tweets French President Emmanuel Macron

The MEA on Friday confirmed that India and France welcome the timely delivery of the 36 Rafale ordered by India. In the future, India and France will extend their ground-breaking defence cooperation in advanced aeronautical technologies by supporting the joint development of a combat aircraft engine. A roadmap on this project will be prepared between Safran and DRDO before the end of this year: MEA

They also support industrial cooperation for motorisation of heavy-lift helicopters under the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH) programme with Safran Helicopter Engine, France.

ANI

Mr. Modi and Mr. Macron jointly addressed the press at Élysée Palace.

French President Macron referred to the long history of Indian troops taking part in World Wars. “I was proud to see the Punjab Regiment here in the heart of Paris,” he said.

“We are going ahead on the basis of a historic trust. Together we can find solutions for global crises,” said Mr. Macron.

PM Modi said, “We see France as a natural partner in India’s developmental journey. We are preparing a roadmap for the next 25 years. International solar alliance has become a movement.”

Terming Defence as a major pillar of cooperation, Mr. Modi said that France is a major partner for India’s defence and it shows mutual trust.

“India will open a new consulate in the city of Marseille, in the south of France,” PM Modi announced. “We welcome French decision to grant long term visas for Indian studying in France.”

Mr. Modi said, “We will discuss co-production and co-development and also export them to third countries. We are looking to increase cooperation between our defence space agencies. In civil nuclear cooperation, will discuss cooperation on small and advanced modular reactors.”

“Indian athletes are keen on next year’s Paris Olympics. We are working on a Indo-Pacific cooperation roadmap,” PM Modi said.

“We have identified new areas of cooperation - Steel, space, energy, civil nuclear and technology, Mr. Macron said.

(With inputs from Dinaker Peri)

The BJP said on Friday that India is feeling proud and delighted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian and military honour, by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal noted that 14 countries have awarded Mr. Modi with their top honour while five international organisations have also bestowed him with similar recognitions.

The U.S. and Russia, and Palestine and Israel are among the countries which have honoured the prime minister, reflecting his ability to bring different nations together and highlighting the respect he has earned the world over, he said.

The world trusts him and it has made him the most loved leader, Mr. Goyal said, describing Mr. Modi as the most popular global leader.

Indians feel very happy and proud at this as he is boosting India’s prestige across the globe, he said.

He noted that no other Indian leader had received the French honour so far and Modi has joined the likes of Nelson Mandela, King Charles and Angela Merkel.

Prime Minister Modi received the honour at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Thursday.

The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour given by France is another in a series of top international awards and honours bestowed by various countries on the prime minister.

These include the Order of the Nile by Egypt in June, the Companion of the Order of Logohu by Papua New Guinea in May, the Companion of the Order of Fiji in May, Ebakl Award by the Republic of Palau in May, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo by Bhutan in 2021, the Legion of Merit by the US Government in 2020, the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain in 2019 and the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin by Maldives in 2019.

Mr. Modi received the Order of St. Andrew Award from Russia in 2019 and the Order of Zayed Award from the UAE in 2019. He also received the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Award in 2018, the State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan from Afghanistan in 2016 and the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud from Saudia Arabia in 2016. - PTI

Squadron Leader Sushil Shinde was part of the Indian Air Force team of Rafale fighter jets that zoomed across the Paris skyline in a flypast during the Bastille Day Parade.

Over 7,000 km away, in Maharashtra’s Parbhani district, his 56-year-old father Shankar Shinde, a former state transport employee, watched the flypast on TV with pride and admiration as his 34-year-old son became part of this momentous occasion.

Mr. Sushil, whose family hails from Purna in Parbhani district, is an alumnus of Sainik School Satara and like many of his classmates, dreamed of becoming a pilot. His sister is also an IAF officer.

This was not the first France outing for Mr.Sushil as he has been to the European country on a couple of occasions earlier too, in connection with the delivery of the Rafale aircraft from France to India, an IAF officer said. - PTI

Mr. Macron gifted Mr. Modi a series of novels - A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time) – by Marcel Proust published between 1913 and 1927 and considered the most important works of French literature of the early 20th century.

Mr. Macron also gifted Mr. Modi Le temps retrouve (Time Regained), the seventh and final volume of Proust’s acclaimed series of novels A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time).

This volume IV of A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time) from the Bibliothèque de la Pleiade includes the final two volumes of the original work, Albertine disparue (The Fugitive) and Le temps retrouve (Time Regained), a number of drafts and outlines by the author and much academic commentary. It was published in 1989.

Mr. Macron also gifted Mr. Modi the English edition, Everyman’s Library, which also includes the final two volumes of A la recherche du temps perdu.

The translation is by C.K. Scott Moncrieff (1889-1930), a contemporary of Proust and the original translator of Proust into English, as revised by Terence Kilmartin (1922-1991).

This version is considered to be one of the best English translations of Proust.

The Bibliotheque de la Pleiade collection represents academic excellence and the most outstanding contributions of French authors to world culture. As Prime Minister Modi does not speak French, this edition comes with an English translation. - PTI

Mr. Macron has gifted Mr. Modi a framed facsimile of a 1916 photograph of a Parisian presenting flowers to a Sikh officer and a replica of the Charlemagne chessmen, dating back to the 11th Century, officials said here.

The photograph dating back to 1916 was clicked on the Champs-Elysees during the military parade on July 14 by a photo reporter from the Meurisse news agency. The original is located at the National Library of France.

In World War I, some 1.3 million Indians volunteered to fight for Britain, including 8,77,000 combatants. Over 70,000 of them lost their lives, including about 9,000 in France and Belgium.

Most of these combatants were from “warrior peoples” in the north of the Indian subcontinent, like the Sikh soldiers marching on the Champs-Elysees.

This photo pays tribute to the Indian soldiers who fought in Europe alongside France in 1914-1918, in the context of several Indian battalions partaking in the parade on 14 July 2023.

It also evokes India and France’s long-standing shared battle to defend universal values.

The “Charlemagne” chessmen get their name from the legend that they were given as a gift to the Frankish Emperor by the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid.

In actuality, they were made at the end of the 11th century, probably in Southern Italy, given the equipment used by the characters and the presence of elephants as bishops.

The original chessmen are stored at the Cabinet des Medailles at the National Library of France and were formerly at the Treasury of the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

This reproduction, gifted to the Prime Minister, is made of bronze-filled PLA comprising the 16 pieces available to the player at the start of a game of chess – king, queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks and eight pawns.

The chessmen were made by the French start-up Cosmyx 3D, which specialises in the 3D printing of art and technical objects, and which took part in the Fabriqué en France (Made in France) exhibition this year.

“This unique item represents both the long history of trade between India and Europe, with the elephant piece recalling the Indian origins of the game of chess, and the expertise of French companies in terms of innovation and new technologies,” officials said. - PTI

After attending the annual French Bastille Day celebrations as Chief Guest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at 1.00 p.m. local time (4.30 p.m. IST). The lunch will be followed by:

2:40 p.m. local time (6.10 p.m. IST)- Meeting with prominent personalities

5.00 p.m. local time (8.30 p.m. IST) - Ceremonial Reception, Tete a Tete, delegation talks, press statements

7.00 p.m. local time (10.30 p.m. IST) - CEO forum

8.30 p.m. local time (12 a.m. IST on June 15) - Banquet dinner in Louvre

After the dinner, the Prime Minister will leave for Saudi Arabia at 3.25 a.m. IST on June 15.

France celebrated its national holiday on Friday (July 14) with whizzing warplanes and a grand Bastille Day parade in Paris — and with more than 1,00,000 police deployed around the country to prevent a new outbreak of unrest in underprivileged neighbourhoods.

India is the Guest of Honour at this year’s Bastille Day parade, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi watching in the VIP tribune alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. About 240 Indian troops led the march down the Champs-Elysees before thousands of French forces, and French-made Indian warplanes joined the traditional flyby above the event.

France often showcases international partners on Bastille Day, and the choice of India comes as France looks to further strengthen cooperation on fighting climate change, military sales and the strategic Indo-Pacific region. - AP

1. A framed facsimile of the photograph “A Parisian presenting flowers to a Sikh”, 14 July 1916

2. Reproduction of the Charlemagne chessmen (11th century)

3. Marcel Proust, Le temps retrouvé (Time Regained), Pléiade + English edition of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time)

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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his France visit, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has accorded approval for the procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighters to operate off the aircraft carriers and three additional Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines from France.

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Punjab Regiment, one of the oldest regiments of the Indian Army, is all set to take part in the Bastille Day parade. The troops of the Regiment have participated in both the World Wars. In World War-I, they were awarded 18 Battle and Theatre Honours.

The PM’s visit to France is being interpreted as a step towards closer military cooperation between the two countries, as India is gearing up to acquire 26 new Rafale-M fighter jets that will fit into India’s maritime military plans. The Rafale-M proposal was cleared by the Defence Procurement Board in the run-up to the visit

Big-ticket defence deals likely during PM Modi’s Paris visit

PM Modi and President Macron. to discuss strategic convergences, defence deals, civil nuclear issues, space, cyber security, counter terrorism, climate change, renewable energy, and the international solar alliance. PM Modi to attend Bastille Day military parade, meet French PM, President of Senate, President of National Assembly.

India-France relation is now geared towards the next quarter century, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi who reached Paris on July 13 afternoon. In an interview that he gave to Les Echos before commencing the journey to Paris, Prime Minister Modi made a strong pitch for the overhauling of the international political-economic architecture and described India as a bridge between the West and the Global South.

In a special gesture, Elisabeth Borne, Prime Minister of France, received Mr. Modi at the airport and a ceremonial welcome and Guard of honour were accorded. This visit also marks the celebration of 25th anniversary of India-France Strategic Partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 13 said that India and France have agreed to use Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in this European nation, opening a huge new market for Indian innovation. Addressing the Indian community at the La Seine Musicale, a performing arts centre on an island in river Seine, Modi said very soon Indian tourists will be able to make rupee payments using UPI from atop the Eiffel Tower. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 13 announced that Indian students who are pursuing a master’s degree in France will now be given a five-year long-term post-study visa. Earlier, Indian students were given two-year work visa. PM Modi made the announcement during his address to the Indian community at LA Seine Musicale in Paris. He also received a gala welcome from the people gathered there. “The last time I came to France, it was decided that Indian students studying in France would be given a 2-year post-study work visa. Now, it has been decided that Indian students pursuing Masters in France will be given long-term post-study visa of 5 years,” said PM Modi in his address.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted the growing presence of foreign players in India, and he went on to emphasize France national football team captain, Kylian Mbappe’s rising popularity among Indian fans. He said that Mabappe is more known in India in comparison to his own country. “French football player Kylian Mbappe is superhit among the youth in India. Mbappe is probably known to more people in India than in France,” said PM Modi said while addressing the Indian community at La Seine Musicale in Paris.