PM Modi to attend Bastille Day Parade in Paris as guest of honour on July 14

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this year's Bastille Day Parade in Paris as the guest of honour on July 14, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.

An Indian armed forces' contingent will also participate in the parade along with their French counterparts, the ministry said in a statement.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Modi has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron's invitation to attend this year's Bastille Day Parade as the guest of honour, it said.

Reacting to the announcement, Macron in a tweet in French and Hindi said, "Dear Narendra, it will be my pleasure to welcome you to Paris as the guest of honour for the 14th of July parade."

Responding to Macron's tweet, Modi said, "Thank you my friend @EmmanuelMacron! I look forward to celebrating Bastille Day and our Strategic Partnership with you and the French people."

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Prime Minister Modi's visit is expected to herald the next phase of the India-France strategic partnership by setting new and ambitious goals for strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic cooperation, including in a wide range of industries.

India and France have a shared vision on peace and security, especially in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and uphold the objectives and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which are also the basis of their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.

"This historic visit will also deliver common initiatives in order to respond to the key challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, and will be an opportunity for India and France to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism, including in the context of India's G20 presidency," according to the statement.

In a series of tweets, the French Embassy highlighted special moments for France and India and said that it dates back to the French Revolution.

"It's a moment for the French to celebrate what binds them together, especially the values of 'liberty, equality, fraternity' -- which, by the way, are also in the Preamble to India's Constitution! Every Bastille Day, Paris' famous avenue des Champs-Elysées hosts a military parade - not very different from the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path!" the Embassy said.

France has been the Republic Day guest of honour five times since 1951, it said.

Prime Minister Modi will be the second Indian prime minister to be the Guest of Honour at Bastille Day after Manmohan Singh in 2009, the embassy said.

"His presence in Paris holds especial significance as France and India are celebrating 25 years of their strategic partnership this year. Indian and French troops will march side by side in the military parade in Paris. Such images speak louder than words how close France and India are!" the embassy said.

Beyond symbols, this visit also has strong geopolitical significance -- since 1947, France and India have always stood by each other in good and bad times, it said.

"And because of this trust, we have built an incredibly ambitious strategic partnership. From defence to the Indo-Pacific, from space to climate, and more: we work together to make our nations stronger, and the world safer. That is the meaning of our partnership: fostering strategic autonomy in all areas and promoting a more just, rules-based world order. We are in this together for the long run," the Embassy said on Twitter.

"When PM Narendra Modi comes to France on Bastille Day, we will celebrate our joint achievements of the last 25 years, and set our common ambitions for the next 25 years. Long live the Indo-French friendship!" the French mission said in another tweet.