Live Updates: Defence Ties Take Centre-Stage As PM Modi Visits France
PM Modi has landed in France for 2-day visit.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Paris for a two-day visit to France today. He will attend the traditional Bastille Day military parade as guest of honour and discuss major new defence deals. PM Modi will be the guest of honour for the July 14 military parade, which kicks off France’s national day celebrations, with the participation of Indian troops and Indian-flown French-made fighter jets underlining close defence ties.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s red-carpet welcome for PM Modi comes weeks after he was given the rare honour of a White House state dinner in Washington.
India is one of the biggest buyers of French arms, with PM Modi announcing a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a trip to Paris in 2015 that was worth around 4.0 billion euros ($4.24 billion) at the time.
He is set to unveil the purchase of another 26 marine versions of the state-of-the-art aircraft during this visit, as well as a deal for three Scorpene-class submarines, according to reports.
Here are the updates on PM Modi’s France visit:
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France marks a significant moment in bilateral relations as India plans to buy 26 Rafale M (Marine) fighter jets and three Scorpene class submarines.
Rafale M is widely considered one of the most advanced naval fighters. India already operates 36 Rafale C (Air Force) variants of the jet, and according to its manufacturer Dassault Aviation, all the variants have the maximum airframe and equipment commonality, which is considered one of the reasons to choose Rafale over the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India, now the most populous country, “needs to regain its rightful place”, in a strong push for permanent membership of the country in the UN Security Council.
“The issue is not just of credibility, but something much larger. How can the UN Security Council claim to speak for the world when its most populous country and its largest democracy is not a permanent member?” PM Modi said in an interview with French publication Les Echos.
The UN Security Council epitomised the dissonance of an institution not in step with a changed world order, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris today on a two-day visit during which he will hold wide-ranging talks with President Emmanuel Macron and join him for the French National Day celebrations as the Guest of Honour.
PM Modi’s visit will focus on strengthening India-France ties in various domains including defence and space.
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