French President Emmanuel Macron Arrives In Jaipur, To Hold Roadshow With PM Modi

New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron is on a two-day state visit to India, where he will be the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day celebrations on January 26. He arrived in Jaipur on Thursday and was greeted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted, “Bienvenue en Inde! President @EmmanuelMacron of France warmly welcomed by Governor @KalrajMishra of Rajasthan, EAM @DrSJaishankar & CM @BhajanlalBjp of Rajasthan as he arrived in the historic city of Jaipur. President Macron is the Chief Guest at the 75th Republic Day celebrations.”

Bienvenue en Inde!

President @EmmanuelMacron of France warmly welcomed by Governor @KalrajMishra of Rajasthan, EAM @DrSJaishankar & CM @BhajanlalBjp of Rajasthan as he arrived in the historic city of Jaipur.

President Macron is the Chief Guest at the 75th Republic Day… pic.twitter.com/voJ6v6KKGl — Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 25, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited the French leader to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, which marks the culmination of the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the India-France Strategic Partnership. The partnership, which covers various domains such as defence, security, space, civil nuclear, climate change and culture, was launched in 1998.

The pink city of Jaipur has been adorned with posters of Prime Minister Modi and President Macron, reflecting the warm and cordial relations between the two countries. Macron began his visit by exploring the Amber Fort, where he interacted with artisans, stakeholders in Indo-French cultural projects, as well as students. He was then received by Prime Minister Modi, and the two leaders visited some of the iconic landmarks of the city, such as Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal.

In the evening, the two leaders held a bilateral meeting at the Taj Rambagh Palace, where they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They also witnessed the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries.

On January 26, President Macron will attend the Republic Day parade as the chief guest, where he will witness the display of India’s military and cultural prowess, along with a French armed forces contingent that is participating in the parade and flypast alongside Indian troops and aviators. He will also attend the At Home reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan and the State Banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.

President Macron is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers Stephane Sejourne (Europe and Foreign Affairs), Sebastien Lecornu (Armed Forces), and Rachida Dati (culture); a C-level business delegation of French majors, SMEs and mid-caps; and other eminent personalities, such as ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

This is the sixth time that France has been the chief guest at India’s Republic Day, the highest of any other nation. President Macron’s visit will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, which was reaffirmed by the two leaders in Paris on July 14, 2023, through the “Horizon 2047 Roadmap”.