This is Macron's third visit to India as President of Franceand the sixth time the French leader attended India's Republic Day celebration as an honorary guest. President Macron's presence in India is also an act of “returning favour” after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to attend the French National Day celebration in Paris in July 2023. Analysts said that the regular frequency of high-level visits between India and France is clear evidence of the two countries' regard for bilateral relations.
The respect was also confirmed in the statements of officials of the two countries. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that President Macron's visit showed the deep trust and strong friendship between India and France. Prime Minister Modi said that India considered France one of its most important global partners.
For France, the visit was an opportunity to strengthen the strategic partnership that Paris has built with New Delhi over the past decades. The French President’s Office stated that through the visit, France wished to further strengthen diplomatic and trade relations with India, a country that possesses a strongly developed economy and science and has an increasingly important voice in the international arena.
Accompanying the French President on this visit to India is a delegation including ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Culture, and representatives of many businesses. At the talks, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi discussed directions for strengthening bilateral cooperation in a series of fields, such as defence, space, civil nuclear, cyber security, and energy, as well as France's role in the Indo-Pacific region.
President Macron’s visit not only paved the way for the signing of new bilateral agreements, demonstrating the dynamism and development of the France-India strategic partnership, but also created impetus for further negotiations of a trade agreement between New Delhi and the European Union (EU).
Analysts said there are many reasons for France and India to maintain a strong relationship. Paris is one of New Delhi’s oldest and closest partners in Europe. In addition, the two countries shared a common vision of peace and security, especially in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, while upholding the goals and principles of the United Nations Charter. This is also the basis for cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
Based on the similarities in bilateral relations, cooperation between the two countries in many fields has developed positively, especially in defence and economics. During his visit to France in July 2023, Prime Minister Modi affirmed that defence cooperation is an important foundation and symbol of deep trust between the two countries.
France is currently India's second-largest arms supplier. The two sides are continuing to negotiate deals worth billions of dollars for France to provide fighter aircraft and submarines to the Indian military. The Financial Times commented that these contracts will deepen the two sides’long-term cooperation on defence.
Economically, according to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France is one of the largest investors in India, with an FDI capital flow of about 659 million USD. There are currently more than 750 French businesses investing and doing business in India, creating jobs for about 450,000 people. Two-way trade has grown steadily, reaching more than 13 billion USD in 2023.
French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly affirmed that New Delhi is Paris’ most important partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Based on strong relations over the past decades, this visit to India by the head of the Elysee Palace once again affirmed France's desire to further tighten the bond with India.
