The Ministry of External Affairs has announced that French president Emmanuel Macron has been invited as the chief guest for the 75th Republic Day celebration of India. This is the sixth time that a French president will be the event's primary guest.
“As strategic partners, India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues,” the statement said. “This year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership.”
Macron also took to Twitter to confirm that he will visit New Delhi for the celebrations.
India had earlier invited United States President Joe Biden to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations, media reported. But Biden expressed inability to travel to New Delhi in January, according to the media.
The French president had visited India for the G20 Summit on September 8 and September 9.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Bastille Day parade in July as the special guest of honour as part of the festivities commemorating the French National Day. According to media reports, India and France signed a number of new agreements and projects in the fields of nuclear energy, research, and defence after Modi's visit.