French President Confirmed as Republic Day Chief Guest
Image Source: Mint
French President Emmanuel Macron has concurred to be the Chief Guest during the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024. With this sixth invitation, France has become the exclusive recipient of the highest number of invitations for this annual event in New Delhi. The tradition dates back to 1976 when Jacques Chirac became the first President of France to participate in India’s Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. Notably, in July of this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honour at the Bastille Day/ French National Day celebrations. Moreover, an Indian tri-services contingent actively participated in the Bastille Day Parade, highlighting the growing closeness in relations between India and France.
A few weeks ago, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti revealed that India had extended an invitation to President Joe Biden for the same event. However, President Biden expressed his regret at being unable to visit India in January due to domestic commitments. India is also slated to host the Quad Summit, the annual meeting of heads of states from India, the US, Australia, and Japan in 2024. Initially, there were reports that India planned to schedule the summit for January next year. However, following confirmation from the US that President Biden would not be able to travel to New Delhi in January, the summit has been postponed and will be rescheduled later in the year.
The strong and multifaceted ties between India and France are evident in their close cooperation in various fields, including defence, space, and nuclear activities. Notably, the year 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the two nations. In another significant development, India has recently received price bids for 26 Rafale fighter jets and an additional 3 Scorpene-class conventional submarines. This procurement of fighter jets follows a previous deal with a French company, where India acquired 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The acquisition of new submarines is a continuation of an earlier contract, with six of them being manufactured in India. This exemplifies the strength of the bilateral relationship existing between the two nations.
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