Prime Minister Modi also held a meeting with the French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the Indian community at the UNESCO headquarters in France, highlighting the strong Indo-French bond.
He began by noting the fact that France's World Cup win was celebrated in India, and focused on the ease of doing business with France, and achieving goals with a team spirit. He also paid tributes to all the people who lost their lives in plane crashes in 1950 and 1966 in France's Saint Gervais.
WATCH: PM Narendra Modi addresses the Indian community at UNESCO HQ in Paris,France https://t.co/mv6WJygk3f
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2019
PM Modi also said, "Today in the 21st century we talk of INFRA. I would like to say that for me it is IN+FRA, which means the alliance between India and France."
France had on Thursday backed India getting a permanent seat in the UN Security Council as the two countries expressed their resolve towards freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific and said they were committed towards multilateralism. In a joint statement issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, the two countries supported an inclusive peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled, leading to a lasting political solution. Macron also held that no third party should intervene or incite violence in connection with the Kashmir issue, and it is for India and Pakistan to jointly resolve the matter, affirming that the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian constitution is in line with India's sovereignty.
Discours à la presse avec le Président @EmmanuelMacron. En direct. https://t.co/Kd5wFpmbJz
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 22, 2019
In a series of tweets from France, the Prime Minister said that he was hosted at the historic Château de Chantilly and had extremely productive discussions with the French President on improving economic and people-to-people ties.
I am honoured that President @EmmanuelMacron has hosted me in the historic Château de Chantilly. We had extremely productive discussions on improving economic and people-to-people ties. Strong India-France ties help our citizens as well as contribute to a better planet. pic.twitter.com/p1fzRInWh9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 22, 2019
Prime Minister Modi also held a meeting with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe today at 12:30 PM IST, before calling on the UNESCO Director-General and attending a community event at 1:45 PM IST.
Modi is in Biarritz to participate in the G7 Summit meetings on August 25-26 at the invitation of President Macron in the sessions on Environment, Climate, Oceans and on Digital Transformation. On the sidelines, he will be having bilateral meetings with leaders of other countries as well.
1. "India is surging ahead," Modi's assurance to the Indian community living abroad
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PM Narendra Modi said in Paris that in new India, the way in which action is being taken against corruption, nepotism, the loot of people's money, terrorism - such action has never happened before. He said that within 75 days of the new government coming to power, many strong decisions were taken.
Speaking of Mahatma Gandhi, he said that, "In dino Paris Ram main rum gaya hai, pujya Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) ki nishra (shadow) mein sab log Ram ki bhakti main doobe hain..". He said that he bows to the Mahatma (Bapu).
#WATCH PM Narendra Modi addresses Indian community in Paris, France: In dino Paris Ram main rum gaya hai, pujya Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) ki nishra (shadow) mein sab log Ram ki bhakti main doobe hain... pic.twitter.com/cyfD49QCw3
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2019
He praised France's penchant for the game of football and said, "I have come to a nation of football lovers, you very well know the importance of a goal, that is the ultimate achievement. In the last 5 years, we set goals which were earlier considered impossible to fulfil."
The Prime Minister assured the Indian community staying abroad. "I want to tell you that India is now surging ahead, the mandate that we got is not merely for running a government but for building a new India," he said, amid "Modi, Modi" chants across the hall.
PM Modi earlier met the Director-General of the UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, earlier today.
#WATCH Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at UNESCO office, met Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/6ljJurQBki
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2019
2. Commitment to freedom of navigation in Indo-Pacific
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The two countries welcomed the swift implementation of the conclusions of the Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region, adopted during the visit to India of President Macron in March 2018.
भारत और फ़्रांस के बीच संबंध सैकड़ों साल पुराना है।
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 22, 2019
हमारी दोस्ती किसी स्वार्थ पर नहीं, बल्कि ‘लिबर्टी, इक्वलिटी और फ्रेटरनिटी’ के ठोस आदर्शों पर टिकी है: PM
For the implementation of the White Shipping agreement, India and France welcome the appointment of a French liaison officer at the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram. The statement said that France and India intend to coordinate their action at the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and undertake, along with interested states, a joint project for reinforcing assets for combating piracy and all kinds of maritime trafficking in the Southern Indian Ocean. "France also intends to work concertedly with India at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), over which it will preside from 2020 to 2022," it said, "France and India are democratic societies committed to upholding multilateralism. They believe more than ever before in a reformed, more efficient international system adapted to meet the challenges of the 21stcentury."
The statement said that France wished to associate India to the G7 Summit it is hosting so as to better respond to the challenges of digital transformation, the climate emergency and the erosion of biodiversity. "France and India call for reform of the United Nations Security Council that would enable India to gain a permanent seat on it."
3. Deepen relations between EU and India on strategic issues, trade, innovation
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The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to working expeditiously and constructively, together and with others, towards the modernisation of the World Trade Organization, including in the lead-up to the 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2020. They agreed that updating the rules and improving the functions of the Organisation, with a particular focus on the dispute settlement system, is necessary to bolster the open, fair, transparent and rules-based multilateral trading system which has long been a significant engine of growth and development. They supported the implementation of the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment.
Climate Change, Environment, और Technology के समावेशी विकास की चुनौतियों का सामना करने के लिए France और भारत एक साथ मज़बूती से खड़े हैं: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 22, 2019
France and India also reaffirmed their determination to deepen the relations between the EU and India on strategic and multilateral issues as well as in trade, investment and innovation. "France and India cooperate actively for international peace and security, including in the regional crises threatening them. They support an inclusive peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled, leading to a lasting political solution based on the preservation of the gains, including the constitutional order, human rights, particularly women's rights and the liberties gained over the past eighteen years," the statement said. It said the two countries call for the timely holding of presidential elections, cessation of terrorist violence and end to terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries for enduring and sustainable peace, security and stability in Afghanistan.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen their partnership to arrive at "an even more robust, close and complementary relationship" including synergising of their approaches towards issues of regional and global importance.
4. Agreements on maritime peace, skill development
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India and France on Thursday signed an agreement on behalf of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Paris-based National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) for the establishment of a 'joint maritime domain awareness mission' to detect and tackle threats emanating from the sea during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the European country.
Upon his arrival in France on Thursday morning (local time), Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed wide-ranging issues of mutual interests. In the meeting, the two expressed their resolve towards freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific. "Based on a shared commitment to maintaining the freedom of navigation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific zone, maritime security cooperation between France and India is a domain of excellence in their strategic partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The agreements were signed between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of National Education and Youth, Government of the French Republic for cooperation in skill development and vocational training.
The two sides further welcomed the signing of an agreement between the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and Bezons-based Atos, a French multinational information technology service, aiming at developing the cooperation in the fields of quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence and exascale supercomputing. They also signed an agreement between National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
5. Tackling climate change, terrorism was highlight of Modi-Macron meet: FS
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Prime Minister Modi had an excellent round of discussion with French president Emmanuel Macron, with the 90-minute discussion characterised by a great deal of warmth, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said today in a press conference regarding the diplomatic talks ahead of the G7 summit in Biarritz, France.
He said the talks demonstrated that France and India are true strategic partners in a host of issues that concern the global stage. Among the topics that were discussed is the forthcoming G7 meeting, of which the issue of environmental crisis and global warming is set to play a huge part. They also discussed a range of other topics including Artificial Intelligence (AI), a joint military exercise between the two nations, and some regional issues.
Prime Minister Modi thanked Macron for inviting India for the meeting and conveyed the fact that India stands with France on all aspects that they are currently pursuing, wishing them all success for fulfilling their agenda in the G7 summit.
The Foreign Secretary added that India is committed to the Paris Agreement, that was signed in 2016 within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to deal with greenhouse-gas-emissions and mitigate harmful environmental change globally.
Concerning the bilateral side, there was some discussion between the two leaders on possibilities of cooperation between India and France in this region. President Macron conveyed a clear condemnation of terrorism in all its form and manifestations, as provided in the joint statement. All sorts of cross border terrorisms were condemned, Gokhale added.
Talking about terror threat - the terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were specifically mentioned in the joint statement as posing a danger to both the countries.
President Macron clearly stated that issues between India and Pakistan to be sorted out bilaterally, the Foreign Secretary clarified.
