French President Emmanuel Macron, the chief guest for India’s 75^th Republic Day celebrations, landed in Jaipur on Thursday on his two day- State visit to India. He was received by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Governor Kalraj Mishra.

Macron, who arrived in India with a 44-member delegation that includes high Power Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Stephane Sejourne, Defence, Sebastian Lecomu, and rapidly rising Culture czarina Rachida Dati, visited Amber Fort and met school students there to welcome him.

During his 6-hour stay in Jaipur, the French President will visit the historical Amer Fort where he will be joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a 1 km-long road show, Shobha Yatra, before the two leaders hold wide ranging talks at the Luxury hotel Taj Rambagh Palace on the diplomatic relations between India and France.

The roadshow is scheduled to start at the Jantar Mantar area at 6:00pm while PM Modi and Macron will begin their meeting at 7:15pm. The two leaders will be meeting in Jantar Mantar and are expected to have Rajasthan’s famous Masala tea together at Hawa Mahal.

Afterwards PM Modi , accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, will host President Macron for bilateral talks cum dinner at the iconic Rambagh Palace before they leave for Delhi late at Thursday evening. India’s proposed procurement of 26 Rafale-M(marine version) fighter jets and three Scorpene submarines likely to be discussed during the meeting.

Emmanuel Macron’s visit caps the 25^th– anniversary celebrations of the India-France Strategic Partnership. Macron has been in India on a state visit in March 2018 and on an official visit in September 2023 for the Delhi G20 Summit.

Macron has welcomed PM Modi to France on four occasions. Emmanuel Macron’s state visit marks France’s sixth participation, the highest by any other nation, as chief guest on India’s Republic Day

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On the 75th Republic Day of India, French President Emmanuel Macron has been invited as the chief guest on the occasion by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi to celebrate the auspicious day.

The French President Macron after landing in Rajasthan’s Jaipur on January 25, will visit Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal before attending the Republic Day parade on January 26 in the National capital.

President Macron will be on a two-day tour to India starting on Thursday, January 25. He is scheduled to begin his packed day from Amber Fort, where a cultural event has been planned for President Macror.

Macron will also meet PM Modi in Jaipur at Jantar Mantar, a World Heritage site. Modi and Macron will later take part in a joint roadshow from Jantar Mantar to Sanganeri Gate with a stopover at Hawa Mahal.

As per the schedule, a private dinner for President Macron has been hosted by PM Modi at the Rambagh Palace. Further, PM Modi will roll out the red carpet for him from Jaipur to New Delhi. 

On January 26, President Macron will attend the Republic Day parade in which a French Army contingent will also participate, at the Kartavya Path as the Chief Guest.

Later in the day, a home reception will be scheduled at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and then the State Banquet at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu.

In March 2018, President Macron was on a state visit to India and an official visit in September 2023 for the Delhi G20 Summit.

This will be France’s sixth time participating as the chief guest at India’s Republic Day, surpassing all other countries. Furthermore, this happened just a few months after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Paris coinciding with France’s Bastille Day on July 14, 2023.

Following Joe Biden’s inability to accept, the French President was invited to Republic Day.

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R Madhavan, who is in France, attended the banquet dinner that French President Emmanuel Macron hosted for PM Narendra Modi. It was hosted at the Louvre Museum.

Actor R Madhavan has shared several pictures as he posed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Madhavan also posted photos as he greeted PM Modi. Madhavan attended the banquet dinner that the French President hosted in honour of PM Modi at the Louvre Museum in France on Saturday.

In the first picture, Madhavan smiled as he shook hands with PM Narendra Modi who sat at a table with the French President and others. In the next photo, three times Grammy winner, musician Ricky Kej posed with them as he sat next to Emmanuel Macron. For the event, Madhavan wore a green shirt, black tie, grey suit and trousers.

Madhavan also posted a clip in which Emmanuel Macron clicked a selfie with PM Modi and former French footballer Mathieu Flamini joining them. All of them smiled for the photo following which Madhavan folded his hands at them. He was also seen shaking hands and sharing a conversation with Macron.

Sharing the photos, Madhavan captioned the post, the passion and dedication to do good for the Indo-French relationship, as well as for the people of both countries was palpable and intense during the Bastille Day celebration in Paris on the 14th of July 2023. Madhavan added he was in complete awe at the dinner hosted by President Emmanuel Macron in honour of our Honorable, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Louvre, of both these world leaders, as they passionately described their vision for the future India and France.

He also added, the positivity and mutual respect in the air was like a loving embrace. He said he sincerely prayed that their vision and dreams bear fruit for people of both the countries at the desired and appropriate time. President Macron eagerly took a selfie for while  PM Modi very graciously and sweetly stood up to be part of it. Madhavan added the moment will be forever etched in his mind for both the uniqueness and impact of that picture.

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France President Emmanuel Macron bestowed the prestigious Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening. It is considered the highest French honour in military and civilian orders. With this honour, PM Modi becomes the first Indian PM to receive such honour.  

PM Modi expressed his gratitude to French President Macron for such recognition on behalf of the people of India. President Macron presented the award to PM Modi at the Elysee Palace, where he hosted PM Modi for a private dinner.

The Ministry of External Affairs also said in a statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour by France President Emmanuel Macron. Prime Minister thanked President Macron for this singular recognition on behalf of the people of India.

The Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a Tweet a warm gesture embodying the spirit of the India-France partnership. PM Modi was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest award in France by President Macron.

The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour has been considered France’s highest civilian award in military and civilian orders. This award basically has been reserved for individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their field.

PM Modi’s unprecedented recognition as the first Indian Prime Minister to receive this prestigious honour highlights his significant global impact and statesmanship.

Earlier, France’s highest civilian award has been received by outstanding prominent leaders and eminent personalities from across the world for their outstanding contribution in their field. The list included former South African President Nelson Mandela, King Charles, Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Former United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali, and so on.

PM Modi’s has been included in this esteemed group of global leaders underscores his international stature and the respect he commands on the global stage.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday discussed cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, as France deals with the fallout from Australia’s cancellation of a $40 billion French submarine order. Apart from this, there was also a discussion between the two regarding the situation in Afghanistan.

A statement from Macron’s office said the two leaders held a phone conversation. Modi and Macron have spoken of strengthening bilateral cooperation in all areas, especially on the economic front.

Last week, France recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia after Australia canceled its previous nuclear submarine deal with France.

Australia, the US and the United Kingdom (UK) have recently formed a tripartite defense alliance called ‘Ocus’. Under this, Australia will be given the technology to make submarines from nuclear power.

Australia had signed a 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) contract with the French government-owned naval company in 2016 to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines. Now it has scraped the deal and said it would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with US and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership. France called it a stab in the back.

However, French President  has announced to hold talks with US President Joe Biden regarding the deal. No information has been given so far about when and how this conversation will take place. Nevertheless, it is feared that the French President may file a strong protest with Biden.

The alliance has been formed to counter China, while there is already an organization called ‘Quad’. The Quad includes Australia, US and Japan along with India. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has also made it clear that the objectives of the two organizations are different and the Ocus will not have any impact on the Quad.

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China, in turn, denounced a new Indo-Pacific security alliance – AUKUS – between the United States, Britain, and Australia, warning of an intensified arms race in the region.

At the same time, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar is about to start a series of bilateral meetings. It will begin with a meeting with the French Foreign Minister in New York today.

In other India news, Rajasthan Royals will take on Punjab Kings on Tuesday in the Indian Premier League that resumed after 4 months in the United Arab Emirates.

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Image highlights from around the world

TEAM NDA: NDA’s presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind with senior BJP leaders LK Advani, MM Joshi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and others on their way to file the nomination for the presidential election in New Delhi, UNI

COME ALL YE FAITHFUL: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir and chairman of moderate Hurriyat conference Omar Farooq addresses devotees during night-long Lailat-ul-Qadr prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, UNI

BLAST OFF: India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C38, carrying Cartosat-2 and 30 other satellites, lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, Reuters/UNI

DAY AT THE RACES: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Britain, Reuters/UNI

ESTABLISHMENT LINE: French President Emmanuel Macron addresses a press conference at the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, Reuters/UNI

WE WANT MARKS: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) activists demonstrate in protest against poor pass percentage in Class X results in in Patna, UNI

ISLAM’S FOOTPRINT: Muslim residents pray outside a mosque in Pantar village, Lanao Del Norte, Philippines, Reuters/UNI

BATTLE ON THE STREET: An opposition supporter holds a Molotov cocktail as he runs towards a water cannon vehicle during clashes with riot security forces at a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government in Caracas, Reuters/UNI

JUDGEMENT DAY: Former Khmer Rouge leader Khieu Samphan attends the closing statement in case 002/02 against former Khmer Rouge leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, at the courtroom of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nhet Sok Heng/Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia/Reuters/UNI

LAST TRAIN HOME: People board an overcrowded passenger train as they travel home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr festival at a railway station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Reuters/UNI

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