PM Modi To Attend French Military Parade As Guest Of Honor

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the honored guest at France’s Bastille Day celebrations. The red carpet greeting from French President Emmanuel Macron comes only weeks after PM Modi was given the rare privilege of a White House state dinner in Washington.

The Indian tri-services will also be a part of the Bastille Day celebrations. The Indian tri-services contingent, Army, Navy, and Air Force, practiced in France on Tuesday ahead of the Bastille Day parade on July 14.

The Indian Armed Forces will march with their French counterparts, with a force of 269 soldiers.

Every year on July 14, France celebrates Bastille Day, also known as Fete Nationale Francaise. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, the country’s Independence Day, and the start of the French Revolution. The day symbolizes the French people’s solidarity.

The Fete de la Federation, or Feast of the Federations, on July 14, 1790, signified the beginning of a new age and the end of absolute monarchy. Thousands of people from all across the country gathered on Paris’s Champ de Mars to see Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord’s Mass at the Altar of the Fatherland.

The forces of India and France formed an alliance during World War I. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers fought in the war.

This year’s Bastille Day is especially significant because India and France are celebrating 25 years of strategic friendship. Both militaries have participated in cooperative exercises, building a solid friendship by exchanging military skills.

Over time, the two countries have reinforced their cooperation and become reliable defence allies.

PM Modi’s agenda in France includes a private dinner and a joint meeting with CEOs, as well as a state banquet at the famed Louvre Museum on Bastille Day. PM Modi will also meet with the Indian community in France during his visit.

Last week, Prime Minister Modi announced on Twitter that he was looking forward to meeting with my friend President Macron.

PM Modi tweeted, “Pleased to receive Mr. Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Advisor to President @EmmanuelMacron. Looking forward to meeting with my friend President Macron in Paris on Bastille Day. The India-France Strategic Partnership holds great significance for global good”, through his official Twitter handle.

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