Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to France for the AI Action Summit next week will also include significant bilateral engagements aimed at strengthening the India-France strategic partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revealed on Friday. Paris views this partnership as resilient through challenges and ambitious in seizing new opportunities.

PM Modi will be in France from February 10 to 12 to co-chair the third edition of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

“The Prime Minister will arrive in Paris on the evening of February 10. He will attend a dinner hosted by President Macron at the Elysee Palace in honor of visiting heads of government and State. The dinner is also expected to include a large number of CEOs from the tech industry and other distinguished guests attending the summit,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated while briefing the media.

On February 11, PM Modi will co-chair the AI Action Summit, which was previously hosted by the United Kingdom in 2023 and South Korea in 2024. Following the summit, a crucial bilateral segment of the visit will take place, underlining the strong diplomatic ties between India and France.

PM Modi and President Macron, who last met in November on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, will engage in discussions at both restricted and delegation-level formats. They had already met twice in 2024—once during Macron’s visit to India as the Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations in January and again on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy in June.

The two leaders will also address the India-France CEOs Forum, focusing on economic and technological collaborations.

“This visit will take PM Modi beyond Paris as he will travel to Marseille with President Macron on the evening of February 11. That evening, President Macron will host a dinner in his honor. On the morning of February 12, the two leaders will visit the Mazargues War Cemetery, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, to pay tribute to Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War I. Additionally, PM Modi and President Macron will jointly inaugurate the newest Consulate General of India in Marseille,” Misri added.

The opening of the new Consulate General, announced by PM Modi during his 2023 visit to France, is expected to enhance people-to-people ties and boost commercial relations in the South of France. Marseille, strategically located at the crossroads of global shipping routes, serves as a key gateway to Southern Europe.

India’s partnership with France has remained strong despite global turbulence and challenges.

PM Modi and President Macron have laid out a long-term vision for cooperation, looking ahead to 2047 and beyond. Their shared priorities include maintaining a secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific region and addressing global challenges such as climate change, clean energy, health, food security, poverty alleviation, and development.