French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to be the chief guest at Bharat’s 75th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024. Macron expressed his enthusiasm on social media, on Twitter(X), referring to PM Modi as his “dear friend” and confirming his presence to celebrate the momentous occasion.
Thank you for your invitation, my dear friend @NarendraModi. India, on your Republic Day, I’ll be here to celebrate with you!
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 22, 2023
In response, Prime Minister Modi reciprocated the excitement, expressing eagerness to host Macron as the chief guest. The leaders plan to not only commemorate the 75th Republic Day but also celebrate the strong strategic partnership between Bharat and France, grounded in shared democratic values.
My Dear Friend President @EmmanuelMacron, we eagerly look forward to receiving you as the Chief Guest at the 75th Republic Day. We will also celebrate India- France strategic partnership and shared belief in democratic values. Bientôt ! https://t.co/jvzvOY2NNa
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 22, 2023
Macron’s participation marks him as the sixth French leader to be honored as the chief guest at Bharat’s Republic Day parade. Notable predecessors include former French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, who graced the event twice in 1976 and 1998, and former presidents Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Nicolas Sarkozy, and François Hollande, attending in 1980, 2008, and 2016, respectively.
The announcement comes after initial plans to invite U.S. President Joe Biden as the chief guest faced a setback, with reports suggesting his decline of the invitation. Consequently, the Quad Summit, scheduled around Republic Day, was also postponed. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had the honor of being the chief guest at the 2023 Republic Day celebrations.
Highlighting the diplomatic ties between Bharat and France, it’s worth noting that PM Modi attended the Bastille Day celebrations in July this year as the Guest of Honour. This annual event commemorates France’s National Day on July 14.
This year holds particular significance as Bharat and France celebrate the 25th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership. The Republic Day celebrations, with Macron as the chief guest, will undoubtedly serve as a platform to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations.
It’s noteworthy that the Republic Day celebrations skipped inviting foreign leaders in 2021 and 2022 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, making Macron’s presence in 2024 all the more anticipated and special.
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