Delhi-Paris Pact: Macron to be Chief Guest this Republic Day

In New Delhi, the choice of guest has been guided by a set of imperatives: strategic and diplomatic, blending business, global geo-politics and bilateral engagement.

“As Strategic Partners, India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues. This year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership. The Prime Minister was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade held on 14 July 2023 in Paris. President Macron visited India for the G-20 Summit on 8-9 September 2023,” the MEA said, while announcing the confirmation of the visit.

While Macron had last visited India during the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a stopover in Paris on May 4, 2022, on his way back from Denmark, to meet President Macron, thus becoming the first world leader to meet the French President after he won his second term on April 17, 2022.

New Delhi had to scramble to find a new chief guest after Washington said that Biden was not available. Indian Ambassador to France Javed Ashraf, who has developed a strong rapport with the French Presidency, is learnt to have swung the confirmation within a short span of time, sources said.

India’s invitation to France signals – and reinforces – the depth of the bilateral relationship.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in June 1948, India and France have enjoyed 75 years of close and friendly relations, officials said.

In 1998, India and France elevated their diplomatic relationship to Strategic Partnership which completed 25 years in January 2023.

This Strategic Partnership, first for France outside the EU, has been instrumental in the comprehensive growth of India-France relationship, officials said.

Co-operation in the areas of defence & security, space and civil nuclear matters constitute the principal pillars of the Strategic Partnership, an official said.

India and France are increasingly engaged in new areas of cooperation in bilateral, trilateral and plurilateral formats such as maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region; digitalisation; cyber security and advanced computing; counter terrorism; climate change; renewables and sustainable growth among others, officials said.

“Both countries share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues. France has continued to support India’s claim for a permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council and the reforms of the United Nations,” an official said.

France’s support was vital in India’s accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) and Australia Group (AG). France also continues to support India’s bid for accession to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

India played a key role in France’s membership of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and France supported India’s joining of Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as an observer country.

India and France have consistently condemned terrorism and have resolved to work together for adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN. Following the Pulwama attack (Feb 2019), France steadfastly supported India and nationally listed the Pakistan-based “global terrorist” Hafiz Saeed, which was followed up with the listing at the UN. France supported India’s requests to block attempts by Pakistan to enlist Indian citizens under the UNSC 1267 sanctions Committee.

Macron and Modi have spoken to each other regularly over the last couple of years, and had met in November last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, and again in Hiroshima in May this year, on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

On 14 February 2023, Modi and Macron also virtually attended the launch event of the new partnership between Air India and Airbus as Air India signed a Letter of Interest to acquire a fleet of 250 aircraft from Airbus.

In March 2018, Macron visited India for a State visit.