PM Modi has reached the French capital Paris. His visit is for 2 days. He will participate in the AI Summit here and hold bilateral talks with President Emmanuel Macron. After this, he will leave for the US on February 12.
This is PM Modi’s seventh visit to France. The PM last visited France in 2023 to attend the National Day (Bastille Day) program. Before leaving for France, the PM said-
At the invitation of President Macron, I will be visiting France from 10 to 12 February. I look forward to co-chairing the AI Summit in Paris. From France, I am leaving for a two-day visit to the US at the invitation of President Donald Trump. I look forward to meeting President Trump. It was a great experience working with him in his first term.
PM Modi said he will inaugurate the first Indian Consulate in France in the city of Marseille and visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Project. Along with this, he will also pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars at the Mazargues War Cemetery.
He described his visit as an important opportunity to strengthen India-US relations. The pm modi said that the issue of promoting partnership between the two countries will be included in the agenda during his US visit.
Will attend the state dinner in the evening
The French government has organized a VVIP dinner at the famous Elysee Palace on February 10 in honour of the pm modi. It will be attended by leaders of several other countries, including French President Macron.
On February 11, the PM will co-chair the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit 2025 with President Macron at the Grand Palais in Paris. The summit was held in Britain in 2023 and in South Korea in 2024.
The summit will discuss the responsible use of AI, so that it can be useful for the welfare of people and its risks can be controlled. Global politics can also be discussed during this time. PM Modi can meet French industrialists.
China and America also at the AI summit
US Vice President JD Vance and China’s Vice Premier are also expected to attend the AI Action Summit. According to Reuters, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also expected to attend the event. Top executives from Google and Microsoft are also expected to attend the event.
pm modi visit is expected to strengthen defence ties between the two countries. In fact, several important deals, including the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets and 3 Scorpene-class submarines, are likely to be finalised between India and France during the visit.
France’s stance on India is different from Western countries
According to JNU professor Rajan Kumar, France’s stance on India is different from other Western countries. America, Britain and Germany raise questions about India on human rights and democracy. In comparison, France interferes much less in India’s internal affairs. This is one of the main reasons why India has never had any major differences with France.
pm modi has also described the friendship between India and France as unbreakable. This has stood the test of time many times. France has always stood firmly in support of India on the issues of Kashmir and terrorism in the United Nations.
After the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998, many countries distanced themselves from India, after which India held its first joint naval exercise ‘Varun’ with France. Its 21st edition was held in January 2023. France and India also held their first joint military exercise France India Joint Exercise (FRINJEX) in March 2023.
France has vetoed Pakistan’s proposals in support of India on the Kashmir issue at the United Nations. During his talks with the then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 28, 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron described Kashmir as a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. In addition, France has also consistently worked with India on FATF and Indo-Pacific issues.
India conducted its first nuclear test with the help of France.
According to a BBC report, France has been a close partner of India in the energy, aerospace and defence sectors since the 1970s. The US refused to provide India with the supplies it needed to conduct nuclear tests. India then conducted its first nuclear test in 1974 with the help of France.
The US stopped supplying uranium to India for its nuclear plants in 1978 due to its non-signatory status to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India also did not get any help from Russia. At such a time, France supplied uranium to India to run the Tarapur nuclear plant in 1982.
After this, in the year 1982, French President Francois Mitterrand visited India.
Unlike Western countries, France helped India set up a nuclear plant. After Russia, France is the only country that helped India increase its nuclear capacity. Talks are still going on between the two countries regarding this plant. The nuclear plant set up in Jaitapur, Maharashtra was possible only with the help of France.
According to the French newspaper La Monde, India has been geostrategically close to France since 1998. Four months before the Pokhran test, French President Jacques Chirac visited India in January 1998, after which the two countries established strategic ties.