NEW DELHI: Three Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets along with marching contingents of India's three services -- Army, Navy and Air Force -- will be part of France's Bastille Day celebrations at the Champs Elysees in Paris, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour.
France holds its traditional military parade in Paris during Bastille Day on July 14.
A total of 242 personnel from India's armed forces will take part in the Bastille Day parade while three Rafale fighter jets of the IAF will be part of the flypast.
As per the parade plan released by France, each service contingent will have 68 personnel while the military band will have 38.
It is at the invitation of France President Emmanuel Macron that PM Modi will be the guest of honour.
PM Modi's visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the "strategic partnership" established in 1998 between France and India. Former PM Manmohan Singh also was the Bastille Day chief guest in 2009.
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 and economic cooperation, including in a wide range of industries, as per the official statement released by the Indian Embassy in France.
"India and France defend the goals and tenets of the United Nations Charter, which serve as the cornerstone of collaboration between the two nations in the Indo-Pacific region, and share a vision for peace and security, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific," it said.
"This historic visit of PM Modi 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 official statement added.