Paris: PM Narendra Modi received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour from French President Emmanuel Macron. In military or civilian orders, it is France's highest honour.
Five degrees make up Napoleon Bonaparte's Legion of Honour, the highest of which, the Grand Cross, is given to the prime minister. The badge has a five-armed Maltese asterisk on an oak and laurel wreath, and the ribbon is red.
Foreigners who serve France or uphold its ideals may also receive this distinction, though membership is typically reserved for French citizens. Out of the organization's more than 79,000 members, about 300 foreign nationals receive this honour each year.
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In a tweet, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, wrote: "A warm gesture embodying the spirit of India-France partnership. President @EmmanuelMacron presented PM @narendramodi with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest honour in France.
PM Modi is on a two-day official visit to France. At the airport, he received a formal welcome. Elisabeth Borne, the French Prime Minister, met him at the airport.
PM Modi was greeted enthusiastically by the Indian community in Paris. They gave Prime Minister Modi a warm welcome while yelling "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram."
On April 14, PM Modi will attend the French National Day in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron as the Guest of Honour. The Indian Air Force will fly past on Bastille Day, and a contingent from the three Indian services will participate in the parade. The 25th anniversary of the two countries' strategic partnership falls on the same day as PM Modi's visit.
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PM Modi interacted with the Indian community in Paris before arriving for the dinner at the Elysee Palace. PM Modi tweeted, "Glimpses from a memorable community programme in Paris," as he shared glimpses of his interactions with the Indian diaspora. Thank you to everyone who came. We are extremely proud of our diaspora's accomplishments.
During their conversation, he emphasised the intricate connections between France and India. He invited members of the diaspora to invest in India while discussing the various sectors in which India is developing.
Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, tweeted, "PM highlighted the multifaceted links between India & France. He thanked the Indian community for advancing ties between the two countries. highlighted the advancements India is making in a number of fields and invited people living abroad to look into investment opportunities in India.
In addition, PM Modi met with his French counterpart Elisabeth Borne to discuss enhancing bilateral ties and cooperation in a number of areas, such as the economy, trade, energy, environment, education, mobility, and digital public infrastructure.
"PM @narendramodi held fruitful talks with PM @elisabeth_borne in Paris," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted following the meeting. The leaders discussed ways to further bolster ties between France and India as well as reviewing various aspects of their partnership.
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On Thursday, he also had a meeting with Gerard Larcher, president of the French Senate, at the Palais du Luxembourg, the Senate's residence in the sixth arrondissement of Paris.
According to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office, which provided information about the meeting, "The discussions focused on wide-ranging areas including India's G20 priorities, democratic values in technology usage, and cooperation between the two Upper Houses. Discussions also included regional and global issues of common interest.