The already strong ties between India and France are set to deepen further when French President Emmanuel Macron comes on a four-day visit to India starting on Friday during the course of which he will also co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
His trip comes after two weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned from a blunder-struck trip to India.
Trudeau and Macron are often compared internationally because of their broadly similar political views, as well as youth and good looks. But the French leader will be eager to make a different impression on his Indian hosts.
Trudeau, already facing suspicions in India that Canada was too soft on Sikh separatists back home, was seriously embarrassed when a convicted Khalistani terrorist, Jaspal Atwal, was invited to a dinner with him in Mumbai.
Even before this revelation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given Trudeau a cool reception, but he is expected to be much more welcoming for Macron after a warm meeting between the two in Paris last year.
Macron will “spend a lot of time with Narendra Modi,” a source in the French presidency said, adding that they had “formed a close relationship” during Macron’s first nine months in power.
They will meet Saturday for talks before Macron attends a solar power summit on Sunday designed to showcase India and France’s commitment to fighting climate change, which both leaders have made a priority.
Travelling with his wife Brigitte, France’s 40-year-old President is set to make the almost obligatory visit to the monument to love, the Taj Mahal, a few hours’ drive from the National Capital on Sunday.
On Sunday, the two leaders will co-chair the founding conference of the India-initiated ISA which was launched by Modi and then French President Francois Hollande during the Paris climate summit in 2015.
French sources here said on Wednesday said that the two countries' partnership on the climate change front, the Strategic Partnership they share, and people-to-people ties will be the three key aspects in terms of bilateral relations during the visit.
Macron, it is learnt, has been preparing for long for the visit, which will be his first ever to India, and it has been in the works ever since Modi, during his visit to Paris in June 2017, extended an invitation.
According to the sources, France and India are keen to cooperate much more in the areas climate change, solar power and clean and renewable energy.
On Monday, the last the day of his trip, Macron will inaugurate Uttar Pradesh's largest solar power plant at Mirzapur near Varanasi made by the French company, Engie Solar.
Macron's visit also comes on the 20th anniversary of the India-France relationship being elevated to that of a Strategic Partnership. It was in 1998 that this elevation was made and India is France's first Strategic Partnership in the region.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved several agreements to boost people-to-people contact between India and France, which are likely to be signed during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron from March 9 to 12.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved signing of four agreements between India and France on migration of people, recognition of academic qualifications, prevention of illicit consumption and traffic in narcotic drugs, and cooperation on environment.
"The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and France," said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
The agreement is expected to be signed during the forthcoming visit of the French President to India, it added.
"The Agreement represents a major milestone in enhancing people-to-people contacts, fostering mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled professionals and strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking between the two sides," said the Ministry.
The agreement, initially valid for seven years with a provision for automatic renewal, is a testimony to India's rapidly expanding multi-faceted relationship with France and symbolizes the increasing trust and confidence between the two sides, said the statement.
The Cabinet also approved the signing of a deal between India and France to facilitate Mutual Recognition of Educational Qualifications and periods of study undertaken by students in recognised and accredited educational institutions in the two countries.
"The signing of the agreement will help in deepening the educational ties between India and France and will go a long way in boosting the educational relationship between the two countries," said an official statement from the Cabinet.
The deal will be instrumental in encouraging mobility of students from both the countries by facilitating possibilities for them to continue their studies in the other country and would also promote excellence in higher education through partnerships and joint research activities.
The Cabinet further approved an agreement between India and France on the Prevention of the Illicit Consumption and Reduction of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors, and related offences.
This agreement covers exchange of information, expertise and capacity building. Establishment of effective institutional interaction and curbing transnational narcotics trafficking including disruption of terrorist financing structures is also covered in it.
President Macron and Prime Minister Modi are also likely to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of environment. The Cabinet cleared another agreement that aims to establish and promote closer and long-term cooperation between the countries in the field of environment protection and management of natural resources.
"The Memorandum of Cooperation is expected to bring in the latest technologies and best practices suited to bringing about better environment protection, better conservation, better management of climate change and wildlife protection/conservation," said another official statement.
