New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on Monday night on a two-day visit to France. PM Modi received a grand welcome from both the French authorities and the Indian diaspora. The visit, which focuses on strategic cooperation, technology, and artificial intelligence, began with a warm reception at the airport and ended with a private dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
PM Modi shared glimpses of his first day in the French capital in a video post on his official X account (formerly Twitter), captioned: “Here are highlights from the memorable welcome in Paris yesterday.”
Here are highlights from the memorable welcome in Paris yesterday. pic.twitter.com/lgsWBlZqCl
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2025
Grand welcome at the airport
PM Modi was received by the French minister of the armed forces Sebastien Lecornu at the airport. PM Modi also received a guard of honour, while a band played the Indian national anthem at the tarmac.
Expressing gratitude, PM Modi took to social media, stating, “Landed in Paris a short while ago. Looking forward to the various programmes here, which will focus on futuristic sectors like AI, tech, and innovation.”
Meeting the Indian diaspora
PM Modi, who is on his sixth visit to France, then met the Indian diaspora in Paris. Despite light rain in the French capital, the enthusiasm of the Indian community remained undeterred. The diaspora welcomed the PM with chants of “Modi, Modi” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. Accompanied by drumbeats and traditional celebrations, the Prime Minister acknowledged their support, calling it a “memorable welcome”.
An elderly Sikh member told the PM, “Modi Ji, you are the best; there is no one like you.” Another person said, “There has never been a Prime Minister like you in history, and there never will be. You are a leader who respects all religions equally.”
One of the key focuses of PM Modi’s visit is the AI Action Summit, where he will co-chair discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron. An Indian community member in Paris, speaking to ANI, expressed excitement about the event, stating, “This time, he is going to co-chair a meeting on a very different topic, which is on AI.”
“A memorable welcome in Paris! The cold weather didn’t deter the Indian community from showing their affection this evening. Grateful to our diaspora and proud of them for their accomplishments,” the PM said in another post on X.
Meeting with President Macron and global leaders
Later in the evening, PM Modi attended a private dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders greeted each other warmly, embracing before engaging in discussions. The dinner, ahead of the AI Summit, provided an opportunity for in-depth deliberations on Indo-French relations, strategic cooperation, and emerging technological partnerships.
During the dinner, PM Modi also met US Vice President JD Vance, who is in France for the summit. The Prime Minister’s Office shared updates on social media, stating, “PM Narendra Modi interacts with President Emmanuel Macron and USA VP JD Vance in Paris.”
Upcoming engagements
On Tuesday, PM Modi will co-chair the AI Action Summit with President Macron at 9.30am local time, followed by bilateral talks. On Wednesday, the two leaders will travel to Marseille, where they will visit the Mazargues War Cemetery to honour Indian soldiers who fought in World War I.
After that, they will inaugurate India’s first consulate in Marseille and visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, where India is a consortium member working on nuclear fusion technology.
