New Delhi: In yet another diplomatic outreach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit France on July 13-14 as the guest of honour at the Bastille Day Parade. His visit assumes significance as this is a very rare occasion as France is not known for inviting foreign dignitaries every year to the Bastille Day parade.
Speaking about the importance of the visit, India’s former diplomat Achal Malhotra said, “His visit comes as a returning gesture towards France as India had also invited French President Emanuel Macron to Republic Day parade and French contingent also marched alongside Indian contingent during Republic day".
"Another aspect is that every small and big country is keen to reach out to India. PM Modi’s visit to France will further augment the bilateral, strategic, and trade partnership between the two nations and also understanding on the global issues, especially in the face of the Russia-Ukraine conflict”, he said.
Defence cooperation could be one of the key points of discussion between the two nations, during PM Modi’s visit, the ex-diplomat noted. According to sources, India is planning to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three scorpene class conventional submarines from France.
Moreover, in a boost to defence cooperation, New Delhi is close to acquiring the Rafael-M (Marine) fighters’ jets which can operate from the flight deck of INS Vikrant. However, talks for the naval version of Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter jets are also on the cards.
Notably, India and France are celebrating 25 years of Strategic Partnership. The armies of both countries have been participating in joint exercises and sharing their experiences. Over the years, India and France have become reliable defence partners.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Guest of Honour, the Bastille Day Parade in France will witness a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts. The contingent has already left for France on July 6.
The association of the Indian and the French Armies dates back to World War 1. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war and almost 74,000 of them fought in the muddy trenches to never retain, while another 67,000 were wounded. Indian troops valiantly fought on French soil as well.
July 14 is celebrated as the Fête Nationale Française or the National Day in France. It is known as Bastille Day as this day is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution.
