PM Modi to be guest of honour at Bastille Day parade this year

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Bastille Day parade in Paris this year, as he has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron's invitation to be the guest of honour for the annual event, slated to take place on July 14.

"On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted President Emmanuel Macron's invitation to attend this year's Bastille Day Parade as Guest of Honour on 14 July 2023 in Paris," a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry on Friday said.

It added that to mark this important milestone, an Indian armed forces contingent will participate in the parade alongside their French counterparts. The Prime Minister's visit is expected to herald the next phase in the India-France Strategic Partnership by setting new and ambitious goals for strategic, cultural, scientific, academic, economic cooperation, including in a wide range of industries.

"This historic visit will also deliver common initiatives in order to respond to the key challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss and the achievement of sustainable development goals and will be an opportunity for India and France to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism, including in the context of India's G20 Presidency," the statement added.

India and France have a shared vision on peace and security, especially in Europe and the Indo-Pacific and uphold the objectives and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, which are also the basis of our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.

Bastille Day is celebrated as the National Day of France and is commemorated as an important milestone in the French Revolution.

In 1789, the people of Paris had seized weapons from the armoury, marched towards the Bastille jail and released its prisoners after a fight.