PM Modi France visit: Bastille Day celebrations, private dinner by Emmanuel Macron, multi-crore defence deals, meetings with top CEOs in focus 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning embarked on his two-day visit to France, which is scheduled to last from July 14-16. Prime Minister Modi is expected to arrive in Paris at around 4 pm Indian Standard Time (IST) and will get a ceremonial welcome at the Orly Airport. Following this, Modi will meet President of the French Senate Gerrad Larcher at around 7:30 pm (IST).

He will also hold a meeting with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at around 8:30 pm (IST). Modi will then address an Indian community event at the iconic La Seine Musicale at around 11 pm (IST). After this, Modi will attend a private dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace at around 12 am (IST).

Here are top points to keep in mind ahead of Modi’s France visit:

1. PM Modi is the second Indian Prime Minister to attend the annual Bastille Day celebrations in France as the guest of honour. Before him, former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was invited as the guest of honour on France’s national day celebrations.

2. An Indian tri-services contingent will also participate in the Bastille Day parade. The Indian Air Force aircraft will perform a fly-past on the occasion.

3. Defence deals worth over Rs 90,000 crore to buy 26 Rafale jets including 22 single sweaters and four double sweater trainer versions and three additional Scorpene submarines are also likely to be finalised during this visit.

4. The additional Scorpene submarines will be a part of the Defence Ministry’s Project 75, aimed at planned procurement of diesel-electric submarines for the Indian Navy.

5. Apart from this, Modi will also meet leading CEOs from India and France apart from meeting the Indian community and other French personalities.

6. This visit will also include strategic tie-ups to strengthen and broaden engagement with Asia and western nations to check China’s growing assertion in the Pacific region.

7. France will become the first European country to allow India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for foreign remittances if the Macron government agrees.

8. Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf said there are several areas of cooperation between India and France including fight against climate change and other global issues including terrorism.

9. The Indian envoy further added French companies are looking at India as an integral part of the global supply chain.

10. He added India and France have a shared a vision on reinvigorating industries and to build economies self-reliant on technologies.

11. After his France visit, Modi will take a stopover at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to hold bilateral talks with the President of the UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

12. Modi’s France visit comes after his White House state visit. His latest US visit involved arms deals, semiconductor investment and enhancing space cooperation.

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