Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has touched down in New Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit, hosted by India during its Presidency on September 9-10. He was warmly received at Palam airport by Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel, where a vibrant cultural dance performance greeted him.
During the two-day summit, Macron is scheduled to engage in one-on-one meetings with various leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, among others.
Macron and Prime Minister Modi are expected to have a working lunch meeting on September 10, building on their previous encounter in July when PM Modi visited France to partake in the Bastille Day Parade.
Furthermore, the French president is set to hold bilateral discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and other leaders, as communicated by the Embassy of France in India.
A statement from Macron’s office said, “The G20 Summit will enable France’s Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world.
It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation.”
It further said, “The Summit will also provide an opportunity to follow up on the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris last June.
This had led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet.”
India is hosting the G20 Leaders Summit at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan on September 9-10. India took over the G20 presidency on December 1 of the previous year and organized approximately 200 meetings related to the G20 in 60 cities across the nation.
The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi serves as the culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year, involving ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
Before his departure, Macron is expected to conduct a press conference at the event venue on Sunday afternoon, as confirmed by the Embassy of France in India. Subsequently, he will embark on a bilateral visit to Bangladesh on Sunday afternoon.
India and France share a long-standing and amicable relationship. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations in 1947 and the elevation of the partnership to a strategic level in 1998, India and France have consistently collaborated, grounded in a strong mutual trust, a shared commitment to the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter, and common values based on international law, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Indo-French partnership, both countries have agreed to adopt a roadmap that will guide their bilateral relationship until 2047.
This milestone year will also celebrate India’s centenary of independence, the centenary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and 50 years of their strategic partnership.
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