NEW DELHI: French President Emmanuel Macron is set to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 which would make him the sixth French leader to grace the prestigious occasion, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
"As strategic partners India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues. This year we are Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership,’’ according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
It may be recalled that PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade on July 14th this year. PM Macron visited Delhi in September for the G20 Summit. The two leaders met again on the sidelines of COP 28.
Meanwhile, this will be the sixth time a French leader will be the chief guest at the Republic Day. In 1976 French President Jacques Chirac was the first French Prime Minister the guest, in 1980 French President Valery Giscard, in 1998 President Jacques Chirac, in 2008 President Nicolas Sarkozy and in 2016 President Francois Hollande.
There was a lot of speculation on who the chief guest for the upcoming Republic Day parade would be as until a few weeks back there was talk of the possibility of US President Joe Biden. India was also looking at clubbing his visit with the Quad Summit (which India is to host next year). However, as no confirmation came forward on President Biden, the Quad Summit has been pushed for later in 2024.
There was no Republic Day Chief guest in 2021 and 2022 given the COVID-19 pandemic. President Macron is set to be the sixth French leader to attend the Republic Day celebrations.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was the chief guest at this year's Republic Day celebrations.
In 2020, then-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, while in 2018, leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries attended the celebrations.
In 2017, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at the celebrations, while then-French President Francois Hollande graced the occasion in 2016.
In 2014, then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at the celebrations, while Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended the parade in 2013.
The heads of state and government who have attended the Republic Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac.
The then British Prime Minister John Major attended the celebrations in 1993, Nelson Mandela participated as then South African President in 1995 while South Korean President President Lee Myung Bak witnessed the parade in 2010.
Trade relations between India and France have witnessed steady growth, with bilateral trade reaching an impressive USD 13.4 billion in 2022-23, marking a significant 7.72% increase from the previous year.
France has emerged as the 11th largest investor in India, with an FDI inflow of USD 10.5 billion from April 2000 to March 2023.
From January to December 2021, the India-France bilateral trade in goods (excluding military equipment) stood at USD 12.14 billion (+39.17% as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year).
(With inputs from PTI)