NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for a four-day visit to France and the United States on Monday, February 10, 2025.. During this trip, he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump.
PM Modi will stay in France from February 10 to 12 at the invitation of President Macron. He will co-chair the AI Action Summit with him.
The two leaders will also visit Marseille, a historic French city, to open India’s first Consulate there. They will then tour the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project, where India is one of the partner countries working to develop clean energy.
After his arrival in Paris, President Macron will host a special dinner at the Elysee Palace for visiting leaders, including many top business executives from the tech industry.
On February 11, after the AI summit, PM Modi and President Macron will address the India-France CEOs Forum. Later that evening, they will travel to Marseille, where President Macron will host another dinner in PM Modi’s honor.
On February 12, they will visit a war cemetery to pay respects to Indian soldiers who fought in World War 1. They will also officially open the new Indian Consulate in Marseille and visit the Kadash facility, where the nuclear reactor project is located.
After wrapping up his France visit, PM Modi will head to the US, where he will meet President Donald Trump and other senior officials. This will be their first meeting since Trump began his second term.
Modi is also expected to push for expanding the H-1B visa program. He will highlight how skilled Indian workers benefit the US economy. This topic has caused disagreements between Trump’s traditional supporters and his allies in the tech industry, including Musk. After their meeting, Modi and Trump will likely issue a joint statement from the White House.
Modi and Trump are expected to discuss global issues like the situations in West Asia, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific. They may also talk about the political situation in Bangladesh, where extremist groups are reportedly influencing governance. Some reports claim that the previous US administration played a role in removing former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since this affects India’s security, it may be a key topic.
PM Modi last visited the US in June 2017, and President Trump visited India in February 2020. Since November 2024, they have spoken twice on the phone, on November 6, 2024, and January 27, 2025.