Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credits: Ludovic MARIN / AFP 9:35 a.m., January 23, 2024
The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron will be the guest of honor at the 75th edition of Indian Constitution Day this Friday, January 26.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honor at the National Day on July 14 in Paris.
Six months later, he will return the favor to the French president, a sign of the vitality of the partnership between the two countries.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honor at the National Day on July 14 in Paris.
Six months later, he will return the favor to French President Emmanuel Macron, a sign of the vitality of the partnership between the two countries.
As if mirroring the parade on the Champs-Élysées, opened by 240 Indian soldiers, a French contingent will shine on Friday in the great military parade for the 75th edition of the Indian Constitution Day ("Republic Day") in New Delhi.
>> READ ALSO -
How India is establishing itself as a great space power
President Macron will be the guest of honor in the official gallery, just as Narendra Modi was at Place de la Concorde.
The day before, the Prime Minister will welcome his guest with pomp in Jaipur, regional capital of the state of Rajasthan, 200 kilometers south of New Delhi, famous for its palaces and elephants.
“This is a particularly important mark of confidence on the part of Indians towards France, following on from the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for July 14,” welcomes the Elysium.
If the last three predecessors of Emmanuel Macron were entitled to the same honor, the invitation has a particular resonance in view of the growing strategic weight of India and the ambitions of France in the region.
At the same time the world's largest demographic power (1.43 billion inhabitants), economic giant and nuclear power, India is an essential heavyweight and increasingly courted.
A “key partner”
It is on the front line facing China, the United States' number one rival, with which it also has complicated relations.
A fan of "multi-alignment", New Delhi, on the other hand, maintains good relations with Russia, refusing to sanction it for its invasion of Ukraine and even going so far as to buy from it the oil that the Europeans are boycotting.
France, under the leadership of the Head of State, for its part intends to be a player in the Asia-Pacific zone and wants to be a balancing power, a bridge between the north and the south.
“India is, in the current context, a key partner in contributing to international peace and security,” underlines the French presidency.
The head of state has already been there twice, in 2018 and for the G20 summit in September 2023. The two leaders will have discussions on Ukraine, the Middle East and China as well. as on bilateral defense cooperation, according to an Indian diplomatic source.
The two nuclear powers have long cultivated defense ties, illustrated by India's intention to acquire 26 additional Rafales, in addition to the 36 already ordered.
Negotiations are continuing on the sale of these 26 combat aircraft intended for the Navy, as well as that of three Scorpène submarines.
No announcements should therefore be made during the visit.
Respect and taboos
The French president will be accompanied by astronaut Thomas Pesquet, the two countries sharing a number of programs in the space field, particularly satellites.
France also aims to sell six EPR reactors to India for the Jaitapur power plant, in the state of Maharashtra, a project in the pipeline for 15 years.
A framework agreement could be concluded during the visit, according to an Indian source.
For human rights defenders, the stakes will be elsewhere, while many NGOs as well as the UN accuse Narendra Modi of authoritarian drift and repression of religious minorities.
Symbol of this Hindu nationalism, the Prime Minister inaugurated a temple on Monday in Ayodhya (north) on a site formerly occupied by a mosque.
The Sikhs, who accuse India of targeting their independence activists, are calling on Emmanuel Macron to give up taking part in the Republic Day festivities and to question Narendra Modi on the subject.
The French president would thus show "his solidarity" with the American and Canadian governments which have pointed out India's responsibility in attacks on Sikhs abroad, underlines Dabinderjit Singh, activist in London.
“There are no taboo subjects, but the goal is to discuss them with respect and with the aim of achieving concrete results,” a presidential advisor responds in advance.