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Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Mazargues War Cemetery in Marseille on Wednesday along with French President Emmanuel Macron, paying homage to the Indian soldiers who fought in the World Wars and sacrificed their lives.
The Mazargues War Cemetery is the second largest place where Indian soldiers were put to rest in Europe, with 1,487 Commonwealth war burials from World War I.
The two leaders then inaugurated the Indian Consulate in Marseille, where a huge number of Indian diaspora had come to meet Prime Minister Modi.
On Tuesday evening, PM Modi and President Macron traveled from Paris to Marseille in the French Presidential Aircraft as a unique gesture showing their personal rapport.
“They held discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral relations and key global and regional issues. This was followed by delegation level talks after arrival in Marseille. The leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to the India-France Strategic Partnership, which has steadily evolved into a multifaceted relationship over the past 25 years,” read a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The talks, the statement detailed, covered all aspects of the India-France strategic partnership. The two leaders reviewed cooperation in the strategic areas of defence, civil nuclear energy and space.
“They also discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in the fields of technology and innovation. This area of partnership assumes greater salience in the backdrop of the just-concluded AI Action Summit and the upcoming India-France Year of Innovation in 2026. The leaders also called for enhancing trade and investment ties and in this regard welcomed the report of the 14th India- France CEOs Forum,” it added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Mazargues War Cemetery in Marseille on Wednesday along with French President Emmanuel Macron, paying homage to the Indian soldiers who fought in the World Wars and sacrificed their lives.
The Mazargues War Cemetery is the second largest place where Indian soldiers were put to rest in Europe, with 1,487 Commonwealth war burials from World War I.
The two leaders then inaugurated the Indian Consulate in Marseille, where a huge number of Indian diaspora had come to meet Prime Minister Modi.
On Tuesday evening, PM Modi and President Macron traveled from Paris to Marseille in the French Presidential Aircraft as a unique gesture showing their personal rapport.
Prime Minister Modi and President Macron expressed delight with their continuous partnership in health, culture, tourism, education, and people-to-people ties. According to the PMO, they agreed to strengthen their engagement in the Indo-Pacific region as well as worldwide platforms and initiatives.
Following the talks, a Joint Statement outlining the next steps in India-France relations was issued. Approximately ten outcomes in the fields of science and innovation, civil nuclear energy, triangular cooperation, environment, culture, and people-to-people connections were finalized.
On Tuesday, President Macron hosted a dinner honoring the Prime Minister in the coastal town of Cassis, near Marseille, while PM Modi asked the French President to visit India shortly.
Source: IANS
