New Delhi:The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, is set to arrive in Jaipur, India, today.He will be welcomed by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and together they will tour several heritage sites in the Desert State, including a joint roadshow.
Macron is visiting India as the Chief Guest for India’s 75th Republic Day. Jaipur, the Pink City, is fully prepared for this high-profile visit, with placards highlighting the friendship between India and France adorning the entire city.
Sources from the BJP indicate that this visit will not only give a significant boost to the economy through increased tourism in the desert state but also enhance the digital economy. During the visit, the leaders plan to have tea at a roadside stall and make payments through UPI transactions.
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This reciprocal visit follows India’s Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France on its National Day on July 13-14, 2023. Macron’s visit marks the culmination of the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the Strategic Partnership between India and France. The India-France Strategic Partnership, the first of its kind for India with any Western country, has witnessed comprehensive progress in bilateral, regional, and international cooperation.
India and France have a longstanding tradition of close and friendly relations, sharing a deep and enduring Strategic Partnership that covers various aspects of bilateral cooperation with a strategic focus.
Emmanuel Macron, in India from January 25-26, 2024, will land at Jaipur airport by 2:30 PM, where PM Narendra Modi will receive him. They will embark on a tour of heritage sites, starting with the UNESCO World Heritage site, Amber Fort, built by the Kachwaha Rajputs in the 11th century.
The leaders will then head to Jantar Mantar around 6 PM, conducting a roadshow at Jantar Mantar and concluding at Sanganeri gate. Later, they will visit Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, where Macron is expected to make a purchase at a handicraft shop using UPI.
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Following this, the French President will have a meeting with the Prime Minister at the Taj Rambagh Palace Hotel. Before departing for Delhi, Modi will host a dinner for Macron. Both leaders will emplane for Delhi around 9:00 PM, arriving at Delhi’s Airforce Station Palam by 10:00 PM.
On January 26, 2024, Macron will witness the Republic Day Parade as the Chief Guest around 10:30 AM. Later, at 3:50 PM, he will attend the “At Home” Reception hosted by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhawan and have a meeting with the President before the final departure.
The Strategic Partnership between India and France, launched on January 26, 1998, was the first such agreement for India with any Western country. It embodies the core vision of both countries to develop their respective strategic independence through concrete bilateral cooperation.
This partnership draws strength, trust, and consistency from a shared sense of strategic autonomy, a quest for a multi-polar world, and a natural affinity for democratic values and the rule of law. Besides defence and security, civil nuclear matters, and space, the partnership has broadened in recent years to include counter-terrorism, maritime security, climate change, renewable and sustainable development, digitalisation, and cybersecurity, among other domains.
