PM Modi begins France visit with focus on G7 Summit and innovation ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in France on Saturday for a visit during which he will hold talks with President Emmanuel Macron participate in the G7 Summit and attend key innovationfocused events aimed at strengthening bilateral ties Modi arrived in Nice on the first leg of his fiveday visit to France and SlovakiaHe was received at Nice Cote dAzur Airport by Frances Education Minister Edouard Geffray Minister of Higher Education Research and Space Philippe Baptiste French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou and Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti among other dignitariesLanded in Nice In addition to Nice this France visit includes programmes in Evian and Paris There will be bilateral and multilateral engagements which will be aimed at improving Indias friendships with key developmental partners Modi said in a social media post after his arrivalI look forward to meeting President Macron tomorrow and to being at Bharat Innovates he added In the first leg of the visit the prime minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Macron on Sunday and also inaugurate Bharat Innovates alongside the French presidentThe event will bring together top innovation startups and Venture Capital funds from India France and other countries Both leaders will review the full spectrum of the IndiaFrance bilateral relationship which was elevated to the level of a Special Global Strategic Partnership earlier this yearIn a social media post Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen IndiaFrance cooperation across key sectorsInnovation sector will be a key focus area as India and France together celebrate Year 2026 as the Year of Innovation The Bharat Innovates event BharatInnov2026 will showcase Indias vibrant innovation ecosystem and offer a platform for startups and innovators to present their cuttingedge solutions and products he saidPM Modi also received a warm welcome from members of the Indian diaspora who gathered in large numbers waving the tricolour and raising chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai The prime minister was greeted by enthusiastic members of the Indian community outside his hotel where a vibrant traditional dance performance added a cultural touch to the welcomeA memorable welcome from the Indian community in Nice Though they may be several kilometres away from home the bond of our diaspora with India remains as strong as ever Modi said in another post Jaiswal said the warmth energy and affection of the diaspora were truly specialPM also witnessed a colourful performance of Kathak Odissi and Bharatanatyam by French and European artists he said Meanwhile the Tricolour was hoisted at the City Hall the Office of the Mayor of Nice in honour of Modis arrival a rare gesture for a visiting foreign leaderIn his departure statement ahead of his weeklong visit to France and Slovakia Modi said Indias presence at the G7 reflects the trust its partners place in the country and its rising global profileFrom France Modi will travel to Slovakia for a state visit on June 1415 where he will hold talks with President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava and interact with business leaders The prime minister will then return to France to participate in the G7 Summit in Evian on June 1617At the summit Modi is expected to exchange views with G7 leaders and invited partner countries on issues including international cooperation economic growth and artificial intelligence He is also scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gatheringThe final leg of the visit will take him to Paris on June 18 where he will attend VivaTech 2026 Europes largest technology and startup event alongside President Macron India will have the largest national pavilion at this years edition of the summitModi is also expected to interact with members of the Indian community in France The Indian diaspora in mainland France is estimated at around 119000 while more than 350000 people of Indian origin live in French overseas territoriesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever