(Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macron accepted an invitation to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations on Jan. 26, according to the South Asian nation's foreign ministry.
“At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will be visiting India as the Chief Guest,” the ministry said in a statement. “As strategic partners, India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues.”
The French president's invitation came after US President Joe Biden wasn't able to attend the event.
Ties between France and India have been steadily growing, boosted by a 25-year plan to deepen cooperation in defense, nuclear energy and space. India has said it plans to purchase three Scorpene submarines made by France's Naval Group and 26 Rafale fighter jets built by Dassault Aviation SA.
In July, Modi had been the guest of honor at the Bastille Day military parade in Paris, which celebrates the French Revolution. He had said India was considering joint production of defense equipment, including helicopter engines, as well as cooperation on small modular nuclear reactors.
Macron is also seeking to deepen political and business ties with India, the world's most populated country, as part of efforts to push back against China's rise. Total goods traded between France and India approached $15.8 billion in 2022, up 6%.
In 2016, France's then president François Hollande was the chief guest at India's Republic Day, which marks the anniversary of when the country's secular constitution came into effect in 1950. It'll be the sixth time a French leader is attending the event in New Delhi.
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