Modi’s Bastille Day visit to Paris will symbolize plenty
The year 2023 marks an important and significant milestone for Indo-French relations as both countries celebrate the 25th anniversary of their strategic partnership, which was signed in 1998. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit France on 14 July, where he will be the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day parade. France rarely invites a partner country on Bastille Day, making this visit particularly exceptional.
A 240-member contingent from the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy will march alongside their French counterparts on the Champs Elysées. Indian Air Force Rafale jets will also perform a fly-past with French Rafales during the ceremony. This participation will demonstrate the strength of the partnership between India and France.
Modi’s upcoming visit to France will be his third since 2019. An essential aspect of this trip will be to renew the bilateral strategic partnership and draft a roadmap for the next 25 years. It encompasses various sectors, including defence, space, civil nuclear cooperation, climate change, education and cultural exchange.
Alongside France’s position as a leading partner in India’s defence industry, both countries share a common vision in the Indo-Pacific region and the global fight against terror and cybercrime. In terms of trade and investment, bilateral trade between India and France surpassed the €15 billion mark for the first time in 2022, exceeding the 2025 objective set during President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to India in 2018. Trade ties have also been boosted by Air India’s recent order of around 250 aircraft from Airbus, followed by Indigo’s record order of 500 A320 planes from the same supplier, which is owned by a European aeronautical and space agency in which
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