French President bids warm farewell to PM Modi ahead of departure from Paris
Paris, June 18
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday bid a warm farewell to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the Prime Minister is about to depart from Paris, returning from his successful visit to France and Slovakia.
"Spending all these days, between Nice, Evian and Paris, it means a lot to me," Macron said to PM Modi.
"You also have to complete your promise now. In February in India, you have to come with extra time," PM Modi said to Macron.
"In February, I took the commitment I will come just for you, thank you, take care," Macron said to PM Modi and exchanged a warm hug as PM Modi was about to depart from Paris for India.
Earlier on Thursday, Macron recorded a special farewell video message in Hindi for the Indian leader, showing his personal bond with PM Modi.
"Dear friend Narendra, I am very happy that you are in Nice, Evian, or Paris. I am very happy to welcome you here. The friendship between India and France is immortal," the French President said in Hindi.
He then switched to English and reflected on his friendship with PM Modi.
"I hope it was correct, but my dear Narendra, dear Prime Minister, I wanted to thank you so much for your friendship... France loves you... I am so happy you are here with so many friends before going back to Delhi. I will come to visit you next February, but you are my true friend... We love you. Take care," the French President concluded.
On Sunday, Macron also shared a glimpse video of PM Modi's visit with a latest Bollywood soundtrack, making the diplomatic engagement go viral on social media.
PM Modi arrived in Nice on Saturday for an official visit at the invitation of President Macron. After completing his visit to Slovakia, the PM arrived in Evian for the G7 Summit, and later he came to Paris for ParisVivaTech Summit.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is more than just diplomacy. PM Modi has a personal rapport with world leaders. But I hope these nice photo-ops also translate to better trade deals for Indian farmers and small businesses. Bus vaapas aake kuch concrete ho.
"You have to come with extra time" - Modi ji ne seedha schedule pakda diya! 😄 Actually, this level of camaraderie is good for India's global standing. France has always been a reliable partner, especially in defense and space tech.
Nice gesture but I'm more interested in the G7 outcome. Did India get any concrete support on climate finance or technology transfer? These hugs are nice for Instagram but we need policy wins.
Macron's Hindi is adorable and the Bollywood video just shows how cultural diplomacy works. But honestly, I wish our leaders would spend this much energy on domestic issues like unemployment. Still, nice to see India getting respect on world stage.
The hug says it all. No fake handshakes, no formal distances. India-France friendship is real. And to think we fought wars against each other centuries ago now? Evolution of diplomacy makes me emotional 🥲
As someone living in France, I can say the warmth here is
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