India’s indigenously built stealth destroyer INS Chennai arrives in France for Bastille Day celebrations

Paris [France], July 12 : India’s indigenously built stealth destroyer INS Chennai and the country’s naval personnel arrived in France on Wednesday for the French National Day celebrations on July 14.

"A warm welcome in France to India’s indigenously built stealth destroyer INS Chennai, and our naval personnel. Symbol of India’s naval power. Here for the French National Day on July 14, with PM @narendramodi as the GoH. A message of India-France maritime security partnership,” Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf tweeted on Wednesday.

PM Modi will be the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade of France on July 14, where the tri-services of the Indian armed forces contingent would be participating.

French National Day, or Bastille Day, occupies a special place in French consciousness. This day commemorates the Storming of the Bastille Prison in 1789 during the French Revolution. The Bastille Day Parade is the highlight of the Bastille Day Celebrations.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Wednesday said PM Modi will leave for his France, UAE visit on Thursday.

The Prime Minister will first visit France from July 13-14 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will depart tomorrow morning for his visits to France and UAE. The first segment will be his visit to France, the PM will reach Paris tomorrow. The PM will stay in France on July 13, 14 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron,” Kwatra said during a special briefing on Prime Minister’s visit to France and UAE.

The foreign secretary said the visit comes as PM Modi’s sixth visit to France. “After PM Modi reaches tomorrow, he will meet France Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne and President of French Senate Gérard Larcher on the same day,” he said.

Kwatra said on Thursday evening, the prime minister will interact with the Indian community which would be followed by a private dinner to be hosted by President Macron at Élysée Palace in honour of the prime minister. The visit’s major ceremonial part will start on Friday wherein the Prime Minister will participate in Bastille Day celebrations. “Major ceremonial part of the visit will start on July 14. PM Modi will participate in the French National Day celebration- Bastille Day. This is a very special gesture extended by France to PM Modi. A large tri-services contingent from India will also participate in the Bastille Day Parade along with three Indian Air Force aircraft, which would also take part in the flypast after the Bastille Day celebrations,” the foreign secretary said.

“Program on the fourteenth also includes meeting with the President of the French National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet and a series of other meetings with the thought leaders and prominent business people. There is going to be another ceremonial reception at the Lisa Palace on the fourteenth,” he said.

This will be “followed by delegation-level discussions led by Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron. The two leaders will also interact with the CEOs from both countries under the rubric of the India-France CEO forum. Then the program in France would conclude with a state banquet to be hosted in honour of the Prime Minister in the evening of July 14 at the iconic Louvre Museum,” he said.