Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra addressing a press briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to France on Friday hailed the trip as "unprecedented and highly successful". He stated that this visit will guide the India-France partnership for the next 25 years which the PM calls 'Amrit Kaal'. The remarks come after PM Modi attended the Bastille Day parade as the Guest of Honour. He attended the annual event held to commemorate the fall of Bastille in 1789, at the invitation of the French President.


"Set of great and rare honours accorded to Prime Minister of India during his visit to France," he remarked, as per news agency PTI.


He highlighted how France Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne welcomed PM Modi at the airport, adding, "this is not a very common thing that you will see."


"PM Modi conferred with the country’s highest honour, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. I am told PM Modi is the first Indian after the independence of India to receive the Legion of Honour," he mentioned, as quoted by news agency ANI.






According to Foreign Secretary, the visuals of PM Modi's visit pointed to exceptional warmth of friendship and genuineness in India-France ties. "The extent of time that President Macron continues to spend with the Prime Minister in the last 36 hours is actually exceptional. Reflects a sense of comfort with each other, genuine friendship, mutual trust, which in a way is also reflective of the state of India, France friendship," he said.


Kwatra informed that the discussions between PM Modi and President Macron involved a very clear understanding and appreciation of each other's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.


"PM Modi has been perhaps the strongest advocate of resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue on diplomacy... So when the two leaders meet, like they met earlier today and yesterday also they discussed at length what the current status is of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But from our perspective, and I think this has been greatly appreciated by the friend side also," he said.


"They also discussed what the impact of this conflict is on the developing countries, the challenges, the exacerbating challenges of food security, the growing uncertainty that it creates for the energy security rapid increase in fertiliser security challenges which can translate into food security challenges tomorrow. So all these things came up for comprehensive conversation between the two leaders and they shared their perspective," Kwatra added, as quoted by ANI.


ALSO READ | France A Key Partner For ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Defence Ties Central To Bilateral Relation: PM Modi In Paris


Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the second day of his official visit to the country on Friday. Addressing a press conference after the meeting at Elysee Palace in Paris, PM Modi said India has taken a resolve to make itself a developed nation and in the journey, France is seen as a natural partner, news agency ANI reported.


“We are celebrating 25 years of our strategic partnership. We are making a roadmap for the next 25 years on the basis of the strong foundation of the previous 25 years. Bold and ambitious goals are being set for this. People of India have taken the resolve to make ourselves a developed nation. We see France as a natural partner in India's developmental journey,” PM Modi said.


PM Modi stressed that the defence ties between the two countries have always been the cornerstone of the bilateral relationship.  


PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron also attended the India-France CEO Forum in Paris.


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