Indian PM Modi to visit France in May; to engage with Denmark and Italy later this year

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit France in May -- when he will be in Europe for the India-EU summit.

Modi will visit Portugal for the India-EU summit on May 8.

Modi had last visited France in 2019 -- as French President Emmanuel Macron's invitee for the G7 summit in Biarritz.

Ahead of the visit by the Indian prime minister, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will be in India from April 13 to 15. He is scheduled to participate in the Raisina Dialogue and India-France-Australia foreign ministers trilateral meet.

Paris and New Delhi have recently increased engagement at multiple levels -- from dealing with Covid crisis to defence ties.

Indian ships will be a part of France-led La Perouse exercises in Bay Of Bengal from April 5 to 7. The exercise will involve France plus Quad naval ships coming together for the first time. 

France has also delivered 21 out of 36 contracted Rafale jets to India. More deliveries are expected in April and May.

India's Europe focus will continue in the coming month as Modi is also expected to visit Denmark for the second India-Nordic summit. 

The first such summit took place in 2018 in Stockholm. 

Meanwhile, Italy is scheduled to host a health summit in May, but chances are that the summit will take place virtually. 

Italy is also host of the G20 summit -- on October 30-31.

Last year's G20 summit under Saudi Arabia's leadership was a virtual one -- due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

India will host the summit in 2023.

In addition to these, India is also on track to enhance ties with the UK.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit India on April 26. And Modi will be in the UK for the G7 summit from June 11 to 13. He has already been invited for the United Nations Climate Change Conference summit that will take place in Glasgow in November.