NEW DELHI: French President Emmanuel Macron will on Thursday begin his two-day state visit to India from Jaipur, where he will hold a meeting with PM Narendra Modi to deliberate about bolstering bilateral cooperation in areas ranging from defence, space and civil nuclear to the Indo-Pacific, before arriving in Delhi for the Republic Day parade where he will be the chief guest.
Modi will receive Macron in Jaipur and the two leaders will also participate in a road show. They will visit tourist attractions like Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. The 1.5km road show will begin at Jantar Mantar and end at Sanganeri Gate where the two leaders are expected to have a brief chat over tea.
The fact that this will be the sixth time that a French leader will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations, more than the leaders of any other country, underlines the significance India attaches to the strategic partnership with France that remains unmarred by any sticking point. Macron will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that will include foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu.
The leaders are expected to discuss international issues like the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. Some progress is also expected in ongoing negotiations for mega defence deals like procurement of Rafale Marine aircraft and Scorpene submarines by India. Apart from the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, the countries are also working on establishing a partnership for low and medium power modular reactors or small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors.
Modi will receive Macron in Jaipur and the two leaders will also participate in a road show. They will visit tourist attractions like Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. The 1.5km road show will begin at Jantar Mantar and end at Sanganeri Gate where the two leaders are expected to have a brief chat over tea.
The fact that this will be the sixth time that a French leader will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations, more than the leaders of any other country, underlines the significance India attaches to the strategic partnership with France that remains unmarred by any sticking point. Macron will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that will include foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu.
The leaders are expected to discuss international issues like the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. Some progress is also expected in ongoing negotiations for mega defence deals like procurement of Rafale Marine aircraft and Scorpene submarines by India. Apart from the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, the countries are also working on establishing a partnership for low and medium power modular reactors or small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors.
