This will be the French president’s second trip to India. Emmanuel Macron will be the guest of honor of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 75th anniversary of the country’s National Day on January 26, the Elysée announced this Friday.
“He accepted the invitation from the Indian Prime Minister to go to New Delhi on January 26, 2024 on the occasion of Republic Day (…) as guest of honor,” announced the French presidency. This will be the president’s second trip to India, after 2018. He also went there in September for a G20 summit.
An “extremely strong gesture”
The holiday celebrates the entry into force of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950, a little more than two years after its independence on August 15, 1947. Narendra Modi, who has already visited France four times since the election of President Macron, was himself the guest of honor this year for the traditional National Day of July 14.
“This is an extremely strong honor since there is only one guest of honor at Republic Day (…) an extremely strong gesture to embody and give a strong impetus to our bilateral relationship,” underlined the ‘Elysium.
Many joint projects
The two countries already share “numerous projects in the space and defense sectors [avec notamment la vente de chasseurs français Rafale]aeronautics, renewable energies, research and higher education,” recalled the presidency.
The three predecessors of the President of the Republic, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, also had this honor, recalled the Elysée.