PM MODI's VISIT TO PARIS MARKED
A NEW CHAPTER IN INDIA-FRANCE
RELATIONS
At the invitation of His Excellency Mr.
Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Prime Minister of India Shri
Narendra Modi visited France from 10 to 12 February 2025. On the first day,
France and India co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit. The
presidency aims to build on the significant achievements made during the
Bletchley Park (November 2023) and Seoul (May 2024) summits.
The summit brought together heads of state
and government, leaders of international organizations, heads of small and
large enterprises, academics, non-governmental organizations, artists and
members of civil society.
On
the second day, Modi and Macron reached Marseille city from Paris on the same
plane, which shows the equation between them. In Marseille, both the leaders
inaugurated the new consulate of India. They also visited the International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Facility.
There is immense potential for trade and investment between the two countries
This was Prime Minister Modi's sixth visit to
France. His visit comes after President Macron's visit to India in January 2024
as the chief guest for India's 75th Republic Day. During this period, Prime
Minister Modi and President Macron held bilateral discussions on all aspects of
the exceptionally strong and multifaceted bilateral cooperation and on global
and regional issues.
Both leaders acknowledged that there is
immense potential for trade and investment between the two countries. If
necessary, there is a need to maintain strong trust for companies investing in
both countries. During PM Modi's visit to France, ten important agreements have
been signed between the two countries in different sectors.
- Acknowledging
the progress in developing artificial intelligence, India and France will
seek to ensure that norms and standards governing their use reflect
democratic values, and harness the potential of artificial intelligence
for human development and common good.
- The
logo for India-France Year of Innovation 2026, declared during the French
president’s 2024 India visit, was unveiled in the presence of Prez Macron
and PM Modi at the India-France CEOs Forum in Paris.
- Letter
of Intent signed between Department of Science and Technology (DST),
Government of India, and Institut National de Research en Informatique et
en Automatique (INRIA), France for establishment of Indo-French Centre for
Digital Sciences.
- The
two countries announced their intention to partner on Advanced Modular
Reactors and Small Modular Reactors.
- An
agreement was signed for hosting 10 Indian startups at the French startup
incubator called ‘Station F’, which is touted as the world’s largest
startup facility.
- MoU
renewed between the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India, and the
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CAE),
France regarding cooperation with the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy
Partnership (GCNEP).
- Implementation
Agreement signed between DAE of India and CEA of France regarding
cooperation between GCNEP India and Institute for Nuclear Science and
Technology (INSTN) France.
- They
welcomed the launch of the India-France Indo-Pacific Triangular
Development Cooperation, aimed at supporting climate and Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)-related projects in third countries in the
Indo-Pacific region.
- They
jointly inaugurated India's Consulate General in Marseille.
- Declaration of Intent between the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Field of Environment.
A private dinner for Prime Minister Modi
French
President Emmanuel Macron organized a dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, in
which PM Modi participated. He was warmly welcomed here. During this, PM Modi
met US Vice President JD Vance. This shows the excellent relations between the
two leaders. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also attended the dinner.
Why is the visit to France special?
PM Modi was given a warm welcome in France.
Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu arrived at the airport. PM Modi's visit
coincides with efforts to deepen the India-France strategic partnership, including
a review of the progress of the Horizon 2047 roadmap focused on long-term
cooperation in key areas.
Both leaders underlined their commitment
to take concrete actions to ensure that the global AI sector can drive
beneficial social, economic, and environmental outcomes in the public interest.
They commended the progress achieved in their bilateral cooperation and
committed to accelerating it further across its three pillars.
They held extensive discussions on long-term
global challenges and current international developments and agreed to
intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral
initiatives and institutions.
The French media described the Prime
Minister's visit as a new beginning with India and said that France and its
investors see India as a high-potential partner. Overall, Modi's visit to
France received intense but limited coverage. Nevertheless, PM Modi's visit has
generated excitement about the future of bilateral relations.
The Paris Summit has five main themes: Public
Interest in AI, the Future of Work, Innovation and Culture, Trust in AI, and
Global AI Governance. India has also committed to leading by example with the
India AI Mission. The rupees 10,371 crore program “Building AI in India and
Building AI for India” aims to democratize AI innovation while ensuring that
its benefits reach all citizens equally.
Many
experts in the world of diplomacy are labeling France as India's new Russian
friend. This was proved by PM Modi's three-day visit to France. Indeed, this
visit of PM Modi is being considered very special. France congratulates India
for hosting the next AI Summit. Ties between India and France have evolved
based on “strategic autonomy” and a “sense of respect”.
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