The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, embarked on his tour to France and Slovakia starting from Saturday for six days. Mr. Modi will carry out diplomatic visits to both countries along with participation in the G-7 Summit in France.
Although technology will form an essential element of Mr. Modi’s tour, meeting world leaders will be the primary purpose of the tour.
Mr. Modi will have meetings with President Donald Trump during this tour. According to The White House, Mr. Modi will also hold discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron. In such discussions, they will explore further aspects of their bilateral relationship.
As reported by the Indian Prime Minister before his departure, “France is important for India’s foreign policy objectives. During the visit of President Macron to India last year, India and France signed a Special Global Strategic Partnership Agreement.
During our meeting with President Macron in Nice, we will review the progress made since February and determine the next steps for cooperation.
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The Prime Minister further stated that they will also have detailed discussions on global issues. This visit will be an opportunity to give new impetus to India’s deep partnership with France, strengthen historic ties with Slovakia, and be a voice for the Global South at the G-7 Summit.
On the first leg of the visit, Prime Minister Modi will jointly inaugurate the ‘India Innovates’ program with President Macron in Nice on June 14th. This is a major initiative under the India-France Innovation Year, showcasing Indian innovations on the global stage.
The program will highlight India’s startup ecosystem, advancements in deep tech startups, digital public infrastructure, defense, space, and clean energy, and the contribution of Indian talent to global technology.
Foreign Ministry Secretary (West) Sibi George also described this as a major sign of the strength of the partnership between the two countries. Following this, PM Modi will travel to Slovakia. This will be the first state visit by an Indian PM since the country separated from the Czech Republic (in 1993).
In addition to bilateral talks with President Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava, meetings will also be held with Indian and Slovak business leaders.
On June 16-17, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the G-7 Summit in Evian. This is the eighth consecutive time India has been invited to the G-7. During the summit, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with several heads of state.
Discussions are underway, particularly between India and the United States, regarding a possible meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Donald Trump, although a final decision is still pending. This meeting could be extremely important given the current relationship.
Trump repeatedly describes Prime Minister Modi as his “good friend,” but his government’s policies do not appear to be consistent.
Continued pressure on oil purchases from Russia, visa rules targeting Indians in the US, and recent attacks on ships carrying Indian sailors have fueled strong resentment against the US within India.
On June 18th, the Prime Minister will arrive in Paris for the final leg of his visit. There, he will visit VivaTech 2026 with President Macron. India will be setting up its largest national pavilion at VivaTech, Europe’s most prominent technology and startup conference.
