{"id":52194,"date":"2024-01-25T09:57:09","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T09:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/india-rolls-out-red-carpet-for-macron-as-france-eyes-trade-deals\/"},"modified":"2024-01-25T09:57:09","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T09:57:09","slug":"india-rolls-out-red-carpet-for-macron-as-france-eyes-trade-deals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/india-rolls-out-red-carpet-for-macron-as-france-eyes-trade-deals\/","title":{"rendered":"India rolls out red carpet for Macron as France eyes trade deals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>President Emmanuel Macron was given a red carpet welcome and an elephant honour guard on Thursday as he started a two-day visit to India, with France eyeing lucrative deals with the world\u2019s fifth-largest economy.<\/p>\n<p>Landing in Jaipur, state capital of Rajasthan, Macron will be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a banquet in a 19th-century maharaja\u2019s palace.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, he will be the chief guest in New Delhi at a colourful military march-past with massed ranks of tanks, dancing troupes, camel cavalry and a fighter jet fly-past.<\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s foreign ministry says New Delhi and Paris are \u201cstrategic partners\u201d, while the French presidency says the trip will \u201cconsolidate and deepen diplomatic and economic relations\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Despite concerns over human rights, differences over the war in Ukraine and Delhi\u2019s close ties with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1801139\">Moscow<\/a> \u2014 India\u2019s key military supplier \u2014 the US and its European allies are courting New Delhi as a military and economic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1765275\">counterweight to China<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>France hopes to build on its military contracts after the Indian defence ministry purchased French-made Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene-class submarines in multibillion-dollar deals.<\/p>\n<p>Macron \u2014 who, according to Indian media, is coming after US President Joe Biden was unable to take up an invite \u2014 is also hoping France can sell six EPR nuclear reactors.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"peace-and-security\" href=\"#peace-and-security\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>\u2018Peace and security\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Modi was guest of honour at France\u2019s annual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1764677\">Bastille Day<\/a> celebrations last July, and Macron is to receive a similar welcome.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1764677\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The French president was last in India for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1775399\">G20 summit<\/a> in September.<br \/>\nParis and New Delhi collaborate on space and satellite technology, and the French delegation includes astronaut Thomas Pesquet.<\/p>\n<p>The visit includes a stop at Jaipur\u2019s 18th-century Jantar Mantar astronomical observation site, before dinner with Modi at the Rambagh Palace, a luxury hotel.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, Macron will watch a military parade in New Delhi for Republic Day, the 75th anniversary of India\u2019s constitution. Just as Indian soldiers marched down the streets of Paris in 2023, a French contingent will join the military spectacle, as French-built jets roar overhead.<\/p>\n<p>India is \u201ca key partner in contributing to international peace and security\u201d, the French presidency said ahead of the visit.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Macron visited neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and also took a Pacific trip aimed at \u201crecommitting\u201d France to the wider Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"no-taboo-subjects\" href=\"#no-taboo-subjects\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>\u2018No taboo subjects\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Rights issues will also be discussed. Journalists, activists and religious minorities have complained of harassment since Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist government took power in 2014, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1674696\">accusations<\/a> of rising religious intolerance towards the country\u2019s Muslim minority.<\/p>\n<p>Modi\u2019s government has been <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/ps:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1761465\">accused<\/a> of stifling independent media, with India falling 21 places to 161 out of 180 countries in rights group Reporters Without Borders\u2019 press freedom index since he took office a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1808149\/delhi-threatens-to-expel-french-journalist\">French journalist<\/a> Vanessa Dougnac was told this month that she is facing expulsion after more than two decades in India for what authorities have termed \u201cmalicious and critical\u201d reporting.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1807881\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The visit also comes days after Modi opened a Hindu temple, built on grounds where a mosque stood for centuries before it was torn down in 1992 by Hindu zealots incited by members of his party.<\/p>\n<p>Modi said the temple heralded a \u201cnew era\u201d for India after a ceremony that embodied the triumph of his muscular Hindu nationalist politics and galvanising loyalists ahead of elections later this year.<\/p>\n<p>Macron is slated to visit a Muslim Sufi shrine in New Delhi\u2019s Nizamuddin West neighbourhood during his visit.<\/p>\n<p>A Sikh group in Britain also called on Macron to skip the parade \u201cor raise concerns directly\u201d with Modi after the alleged targeting of Sikh separatists abroad, an issue that sparked a major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1776725\">diplomatic row with Canada<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are no taboo subjects,\u201d a French presidential adviser said ahead of the visit. \u201cBut the goal is to discuss them with respect and with the aim of achieving concrete results\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Emmanuel Macron was given a red carpet welcome and an elephant honour guard on Thursday as he started a two-day visit to India, with France eyeing lucrative deals with the world\u2019s fifth-largest economy. Landing in Jaipur, state capital of Rajasthan, Macron will be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a banquet in a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2024\/01\/25144058b99c109.jpg?r=144200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52194\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}