Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a six-day visit to France and Slovakia beginning June 13, during which he will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, attend the G7 Summit in Evian and undertake the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since the country’s independence in 1993.
Announcing the itinerary on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs said Modi’s visit to Europe would focus on strengthening India’s strategic partnerships, boosting innovation ties and expanding cooperation with key European partners.
In the first leg of the tour, Modi will travel to the French city of Nice, where he will hold bilateral talks with President Macron on June 14. The two leaders are expected to review the entire spectrum of India-France ties, which were elevated to a Special Global Strategic Partnership earlier this year.
Modi and Macron will also jointly inaugurate the ‘Bharat Innovates’ event, a flagship initiative being held during India-France Year of Innovation that will bring together leading startups and venture capital funds from India, France and other countries.
From France, Modi will travel to Slovakia on a state visit from June 14 to 16 at the invitation of Prime Minister Robert Fico. The visit will mark the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Central European nation since it gained independence in 1993.
During the visit, Modi will hold talks with Prime Minister Fico and meet Slovak President Peter Pellegrini. The two sides are expected to explore avenues for expanding cooperation in trade, investment, automobile manufacturing and railway technologies.
The visit follows President Droupadi Murmu’s trip to Slovakia in April last year and President Pellegrini’s visit to India for AI Impact Summit in February this year.
Modi will then return to France to participate in the G7 Summit in Evian on June 16 and 17. At the summit, he is expected to engage with leaders of the G7 countries, invited partner nations and international organisations on issues relating to international cooperation, sustainable economic growth and the safe and efficient deployment of artificial intelligence.
The Prime Minister is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
In the final leg of his tour, Modi will visit Paris on June 18 for further engagements and attend VivaTech, Europe’s largest technology and startup event. He is also expected to interact with members of the Indian diaspora in the French capital.
MEA said Modi’s participation in the G7 Summit reflected India’s growing role as a leading voice of the Global South and an important partner in addressing global challenges.
It said the Prime Minister’s engagements at the Bharat Innovates initiative and VivaTech Summit would showcase India as a major hub for innovation, digital transformation and entrepreneurship while helping foster deeper links between Indian and European technology ecosystems.
The visit, the ministry added, would also reaffirm India’s commitment to advancing its broader strategic partnership with the European Union.
