On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to attend the Bastille Day Parade in Paris on July 14, 2023, as the Guest of Honour. This year’s event will mark the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership. Indian armed forces will participate in the parade alongside their French counterparts to commemorate the occasion.
According to the official statement, the visit is expected to take the India-France Strategic Partnership to the next level, setting ambitious goals for cooperation in various fields, such as strategic, cultural, scientific, academic, and economic. The two countries have a shared vision of peace and security, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and uphold the objectives and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which form the basis of their cooperation in the region.
The statement further noted that the visit would also allow the two nations to work together to tackle some of the key challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. The visit will also reaffirm India and France’s commitment to multilateralism, especially in the context of India’s G20 Presidency.
The Bastille Day Parade in Paris is a significant event for France’s closest allies, and being a Guest of Honour is a rare privilege. The celebration marks the fall of a fortress that symbolized the French Revolution of 1789 and typically includes a military parade on Champs Elysees Avenue and air force jets flying over the capital.
Previous foreign guests at the event include former US President Donald Trump and ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Macron is also expected to visit India in September to deepen political and business ties with developing countries as part of his strategy to make Europe a stronger partner than China.