New Delhi: On the last leg of his three-nation European tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on Wednesday and received a warm welcome from French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace. France is one of India's strongest partners, with our nations cooperating in diverse areas, said PM Modi on Twitter.
"A meeting between two friends. An opportunity to translate the renewed mandate of President @EmmanuelMacron into a renewed momentum for the India-France Strategic partnership," said External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.
PM Modi is among the first few world leaders to meet President Macron after Macron was re-elected as the President of France last week. He congratulated Macron after his re-election.
"Congratulations to my friend @EmmanuelMacron on being re-elected. I look forward to continue working together to deepen the India-French Strategic Partnership," Modi had tweeted.
In a statement before leaving for Europe, Modi had said: "President Macron has very recently been re-elected, and my visit just ten days after the result will not only allow me to convey my personal congratulations in-person, but also reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries. This will also give us the opportunity to set the tone of the next phase of the India-France Strategic Partnership."
"President Macron and I will share assessments on various regional and global issues and will take stock of ongoing bilateral cooperation. It is my firm belief that two countries that share such similar vision and values for the global order, must work in close cooperation with each other," he had said.
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Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet, 'Bonjour Paris! PM Modi arrives in Paris on a visit to France.' Bagchi said that PM Modi will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and discuss issues of bilateral and mutual interest. The meeting between the two leaders will set a more ambitious agenda for the strategic partnership.
Modi's visit is taking place at a time when the European Union is being led by France. Also, this visit is taking place at a time when India and France have completed 75 years of diplomatic relations. Prior to this, PM Modi also visited France in August 2019, June 2017, November 2015 and April 2015.
India and France have been strategic partners since 1998. The two countries have a multi-faceted partnership in defence, civil nuclear, economy, space and maritime security, clean energy and environment, counter-terrorism, and people-to-people ties. India and France are the founding members of the International Solar Alliance announced by PM Modi at the United Nations Climate Change COP21 in November 2015.