PM Modi thanks French President Macron, First Lady for hosting him at Elysee Palace

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) for a dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Pic/AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked French President Emmanuel Macron and France's first lady Brigitte Macron for hosting him at the Elysee Palace. Taking to his official Twitter handle, PM Modi stated, "I thank President @EmmanuelMacron and Mrs. Macron for hosting me at the Palace this evening."

Upon his arrival at Elysee Palace, the French President and his wife welcomed him. Emmanuel Macron hugged PM Modi near the entrance of the Elysee Palace to welcome him. The two leaders along with Brigitte Macron then posed for the cameras.

During the private dinner, Emmanuel Macron bestowed the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time). It is the highest French honour in military or civilian orders. With this, PM Modi becomes the first Indian PM to receive this honour.

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet stated, "A warm gesture embodying the spirit of India-France partnership. PM @narendramodi conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest award in France by President @EmmanuelMacron."

PM Modi is in France for a two-day official visit. He was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport. He was welcomed by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at the airport. PM Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora in Paris. They accorded a warm welcome to PM Modi while raising slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram.'

PM Modi will join French President Emmanuel Macron for the French National Day in Paris as the Guest of Honour on April 14. An Indian tri-services contingent will be part of the Bastille Day Parade, while Indian Air Force aircraft will perform a fly-past on the occasion. PM Modi's visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Prior to arriving for the dinner at Elysee Palace, PM Modi interacted with the Indian community in Paris. While sharing glimpses of his interaction with the Indian diaspora, PM Modi tweeted, "Glimpses from a memorable community programme in Paris. Gratitude to all those who joined us. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our diaspora."

During his interaction, he highlighted the multifaceted linkages between India and France. He spoke about India's development in various sectors and invited diaspora members to invest in India. Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted, "PM highlighted the multi-faceted linkages between India & France. He appreciated the Indian community for bolstering bilateral ties. Highlighted the strides being made by India in different domains and invited the diaspora members to explore opportunities of investing in India."

PM Modi also held a meeting with his French counterpart Elisabeth Borne and discussed furthering cooperation in various areas, including economy, trade, energy, environment, education, mobility, digital public infrastructure and people-to-people ties. After the meeting, Prime Minister's Office tweeted, "PM @narendramodi held fruitful talks with PM @elisabeth_borne in Paris. The leaders reviewed various facets of India-France partnership as well as discussed measures to further strengthen the ties between both the countries."

He also met French Senate President Gerard Larcher on Thursday at the Senate building, Palais du Luxembourg in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Sharing details regarding the meeting, Prime Minister's Office in a press release said, "The discussions focused on wide range of areas including India's G20 priorities, democratic values in technology usage and cooperation between the two Upper Houses. Regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed."

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