Prime Minister Narendra Modi is guest of honour for Bastille Day celebrations in France on Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron's red carpet welcome comes weeks after PM Modi was given the rare honour of a White House state dinner in Washington.
The Indian tri-services are also going to be an integral part of the Bastille Day celebration. Ahead of the Bastille Day parade on July 14, the Indian tri-services, Army, Navy and Air Force contingent held practice sessions in France on Tuesday.
A 269-member contingent of the Indian Armed Forces will march alongside their French counterparts.
Bastille Day, also known as Fete Nationale Francaise, is celebrated every year on July 14 in France. It marks the storming of the Bastille in 1789, the country's Independence Day, which marks the beginning of the French Revolution. The day represents unity among the French People.
On July 14, 1790, the Fete de la Federation, or the Feast of the Federations, marked the inauguration of a new era and abolished absolutism. Thousands of people from various provinces gathered at the Champ de Mars in Paris, where Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord held a Mass at the Altar of the Fatherland.
The alliance between India and France's armies trace back to World War 1. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers joined the conflict. This year Bastille Day holds special significance as India and France mark 25 years of their strategic partnership. The armies of the two countries have engaged in joint exercises, fostering a strong bond by exchanging their military expertise. Over time, the two countries have become trusted defence allies, and have solidified their partnership.
PM Modi's France itinerary has a set of meetings with Mr Macron, including a private dinner and a joint meeting with CEOs besides a state banquet at the iconic Louvre Museum on Bastille Day. The trip will also see PM Modi engaging with the Indian community in France.
PM Modi said on Twitter last week that he was "looking forward to meeting with my friend President Macron".
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