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French President’s four-day India visit from March 9
New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive here on March 9 for a four-day state visit to India, during which he will hold a summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.
According to the Ministry statement, Modi and Macron will meet on March 10.
“The visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement,” it said.
Modi earlier met Macron soon after the latter was elected President, during a visit to Paris in June last year.
Macron will also co-chair the founding conference of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA).
India-France relations, elevated to that of a strategic partnership in 1998, are one of the most important and comprehensive bilateral engagements and are marked by intense and frequent high-level exchanges and deep political understanding.
“We have enhanced and ongoing cooperation in the defence, maritime, space, security, and energy-related sectors, and are increasingly working together on all issues of concern including terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanisation, science and technology cooperation, and youth exchanges,” the statement said.
Trade between India and France in 2016-17 fiscal reached $10.95 billion. France is the ninth largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of $6.09 billion from April 2000 to October 2017.
Around 1,000 French companies have operations in India while about 120 Indian companies have invested one billion euros in France and employ close to 7,000 people.
According to the statement, an India-France CEOs Forum will also take place during Macron’s visit.
“The visit is also aimed at forging not only strong manufacturing and technology partnerships, but also greater people to people contacts especially through greater exchanges of students and researchers,” it stated.
The Indian community, including NRIs in mainland France, number around 110,000 and largely hail from the French enclaves of Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe and Chandernagore.
Modi and Macron shall co-chair the founding conference of the ISA on March 11.
The ISA, launched at the UN Conference of Parties (CoP) climate summit in Paris on November 30, 2015, by Modi and then French President Francois Hollande, is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.
It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
The interim secretariat of the ISA was inaugurated by Modi and Hollande in Gurugram on January 25, 2016.
The framework agreement of the establishment of the ISA was opened for signature in Morocco on November 15, 2016.
The alliance became a legal entity on December 6, 2016, after the deposit of the 15th ratification instrument.
At least 55 countries are expected to attend the March 11 event, half of which will be represented at heads of state or heads of government level. The countries have been invited jointly by Modi and Macron.
The last French presidential visit took place in 2016 when Hollande visited as the chief guest of that year’s Republic Day celebrations.
–IANS
ab/tsb/bg
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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