Macron thanks 'dear friend' Modi for Republic Day invite, says will 'celebrate with you'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (Dec 22) confirmed that he would be the chief guest for the 2024 Indian Republic Day parade in New Delhi. In a post on X, President Macron said, "Thank you for your invitation, my dear friend Narendra Modi. India, on your Republic Day, I’ll be here to celebrate with you!"

Earlier in the day, an invitation was extended to Macron to be a chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. India had initially invited United States President Joe Biden to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations, but the visit did not materialise.

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This is the sixth time that a French leader would be the chief at the celebrations in India's national capital.Before Macron, then prime minister Jacques Chirac became the first-ever French leader to be invited as the chief guest in 1976.

Subsequent invitations were extended to French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in 1980, President Jacques Chirac in 1998, President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, and President François Hollande in 2016, WION earlier reported.

Earlier this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honour at the Bastille Day celebrations in France on July 14. This year also marked 25 years of strategic partnership between New Delhi and Paris.

To mark this anniversary, a 241-member tri-service Indian armed forces contingent led by a military band also took part in the Bastille Day Parade.

In September, French President Macron visited India to attend the G20 Summit. On Sept 10, Macron and Modi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on the sidelines of the summit. Following the meeting, Modi said he and Macron reaffirmed their commitment to take India-France relations to newer heights of progress.

India and France have been cooperating closely in various sectors including defence, space, trade and education.