Prime Minister holds several high-level engagements in Germany, Denmark and France while also interacting with the Indian diaspora in all three countries
Our Bureau
Paris/Berlin/New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held talks with the newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, discussing a range of bilateral issues including defense, space, civil nuclear cooperation and people-to-people linkages, as well as regional and global issues. The two leaders held talks at Elysee Palace, the official residence of the President of France, in Paris. Addressing a press briefing, shortly before the departure of PM Modi back to India, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the two leaders who are also good friends held “extensive discussions on a range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance.”
“The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on all the key areas of bilateral engagement, including in defense, space, civil nuclear cooperation and people-to-people linkages. They also discussed regional and global issues, including developments in Europe and the Indo-pacific,” the Foreign Secretary informed.
Kwatra also informed that this was the first visit of PM Modi to France since August 2019.
The Foreign Secretary also emphasized that “India and France see each other as key partners in the Indo-pacific.”
On the sidelines, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met his French counterpart, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during PM Modi’s visit.
Following the talks, the French President also hosted a dinner for the Indian Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in France on Wednesday on the final leg of his three-day Europe visit and was warmly welcomed by members of the Indian diaspora in Paris. Members of the Indian community were present outside the hotel where PM Modi reached after his arrival in Paris. Children were present in sizeable numbers and many of them sought autographs from the Prime Minister. People reciprocated the greetings of the people.
Later, concluding his three-day jam-packed visit to Europe, Modi on Wednesday departed for India after his short stay in Paris during which he held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
PM Modi held several high-level engagements with the leadership of Germany, Denmark and France, during the course of his visit, while also interacting with the Indian diaspora in all three countries. The Prime Minister also held interactions with the business leaders in Germany and Denmark during the course of his visit.
PM Modi arrived in Berlin on Monday where he held bilateral discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, before participating in the sixth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations.
The Prime Minister said the Inter-Governmental Consultations were productive.
A total of nine agreements were signed between India and Germany, including a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on Green and Sustainable Development Partnership under which Germany agreed to make an advance commitment of 10 billion euros of new and additional developmental assistance to India until 2030.
On the second day of his visit, the Indian Prime Minister arrived in Copenhagen, holding talks with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen and discussing bilateral issues including trade between the two countries and cooperation on environmental action.
A number of agreements were formally signed between the two countries including a Declaration of Intent (DoI) on Migration and Mobility, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of skill development, Vocational Education and Entrepreneurship and the launch of energy policy dialogue at ministerial level between the two countries.
On the third day of his visit, PM Modi attended the second India-Nordic summit with the Prime Ministers of Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Denmark.
During the Summit, the Prime Ministers pledged to continue to deepen cooperation between the Nordic countries and India and focused their discussions on key issues related to international peace and security, including the conflict in Ukraine, multilateral cooperation, green transition and climate change, the blue economy, innovation and digitalization.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his “fruitful and successful” three-day visit to three European countries – Germany, Denmark and France.
He said that PM Modi’s visit will further scale up economic linkages, and cultural and defense cooperation with these countries. “PM Modi’s 3-day Europe visit has strengthened India’s friendship with Germany, Denmark & France. His visit will further scale up economic linkages, and cultural and defense cooperation with these countries. I congratulate PM on his fruitful & successful visit,” tweeted Defense Min Rajnath Singh.
