French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his attendance as the Chief Guest at next year's Republic Day celebrations and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the invitation.
“Thank you for your invitation, my dear friend Narendra Modi. I'll be here to celebrate with you on India's Republic Day!” Macron shared on X (formerly Twitter).
The Ministry of External Affairs earlier confirmed Macron's visit, stating, “At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Emmanuel Macron of France will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations.”
India and France, being strategic partners, share common ground on various global and regional issues.
Before Macron, former French leaders like Jacques Chirac, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Francois Hollande had graced India's Republic Day celebrations in different years.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership.
Additionally, PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade in Paris on July 14, 2023, upon Macron's invitation.
Macron had visited India in September to attend the G20 Summit during India's Presidency. During a bilateral meeting in Delhi, both leaders expressed their commitment to further enhancing India-France relations across multiple sectors like defence, space, trade, education, and culture.
(With ANI inputs)
