India and France are expected to take forward their “special and strategic” ties covering key areas of defence and security during the visit of French President Francois Hollande, who will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations next week.
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Also, in a first of its kind, French troops will march alongside Indian troops on Rajpath on the eve of Republic Day. “The Consulate has informed the Indian police of this letter, whose authenticity is yet to be established”.
Commandos of National Security Group (NSG) take positions during a mock terror attack drill ahead of Republic Day in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. Facing re-election next year an increasingly desperate President Hollande proposes to pay French employers to hire young unemployed people as a means to restore confidence in his country’s “broken” economic model, one which is marred by low output and stagnant growth.
The US Central Intelligence Agency is assisting Indian and French authorities to ensure the safety of Mr Modi and Mr Hollande, the Times of India reported, citing people it did not identify.
Italy has additionally guaranteed assistance including a solar power coalition released last month throughout the global climate discussions presented in London, for India is clear power mission.
Modi will receive him in Chandigarh, where the two leaders will address a meeting of the top business leaders of India and France. He had expressed his desire to visit Chandigarh, the first post-independence planned city in the country that was designed by renowned French architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s and the 1960s.
India was the world’s 2nd-largest arms importer in 2015, receiving some $5.57 billion in military hardware.
Hollande declared a state of emergency on November 14, a day after the Paris attacks, with the aim to empower police to conduct house searches without judicial warrants and arrest suspects. He would be the fifth French president invited as the guest of honor at the ceremony.
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Hollande will be arriving in Chandigarh on January 24 where he is expected to be received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. French Ambassador to India has already visited the city.
