PM Modi heads to France, United States today

New Delhi, Feb 9: After successfully navigating the Delhi assembly elections and its victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leaving on two crucial diplomatic visits from Monday. First to France and then to the United States.

France Visit: February 10-12, 2025

At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Modi will visit France from February 10-12, 2025. The visit is centred around the (Artificial Intelligence) AI Action Summit, which Modi will co-chair alongside Macron. This summit is crucial in shaping global discussions on the governance, ethical deployment, and inclusivity of artificial intelligence.

“Artificial Intelligence is bound to have and is already having a profound impact across all sectors of the economy, polity, society, and governance,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri noted during a press briefing. India’s focus at the summit will be on ensuring AI is developed and deployed in a safe, humane, responsible, and trustworthy manner. A leader’s declaration is expected to be adopted at the conclusion of the summit.

Beyond the AI Summit, Modi’s visit to France has a strong bilateral component. This visit comes after President Macron’s role as the Chief Guest at India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations in 2024 and follows multiple meetings between the two leaders at international forums like the G7 and G20 summits.

Upon his arrival in Paris on February 10, Modi will attend a high-profile dinner hosted by Macron at the Élysée Palace, attended by global tech CEOs and other distinguished guests. On February 11, Modi and Macron will address the India-France CEOs Forum, followed by discussions in both restricted and delegation-level formats.

A major highlight of the visit is the leaders' trip to Marseille, where they will jointly visit the Mazargues War Cemetery to pay tribute to Indian soldiers who fought in World War I. Another key event is the inauguration of the Consulate General of India in Marseille, aimed at strengthening India’s outreach to its diaspora in the region.

Further underlining the deepening Indo-French partnership, both leaders will visit Cadarache, home to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. “India and France share a strategic partnership that covers defence, security, civilian nuclear cooperation, space, trade, innovation, and technology, among other areas,” said Foreign Secretary Misri, emphasizing the robust nature of Indo-French ties.

United States Visit” 12-13 February

Following his visit to France, Prime Minister Modi will travel to the United States on February 12-13 at the invitation of President Donald Trump. This marks Modi’s first visit to the U.S. since Trump began his second presidential term and places Modi among the first world leaders to meet the newly inaugurated administration.

“The fact that the Prime Minister has been invited to visit the U.S. within barely three weeks of the new administration taking office shows the importance of the India-U.S. partnership and is also reflective of the bipartisan support that this partnership enjoys in the United States,” stated Foreign Secretary Misri.

Modi’s itinerary in the U.S. includes a bilateral meeting with President Trump in both restricted and delegation-level formats. He is also expected to hold discussions with senior U.S. officials, business leaders, and members of the Indian diaspora. The meeting aims to reaffirm the shared interests of both nations across areas such as trade, investment, defence cooperation, counterterrorism, and Indo-Pacific security.

This visit continues the high-level engagements between India and the U.S. Modi had previously visited the U.S. during Trump’s first term in 2017 and 2019. The rapport between the two leaders has remained strong, with Modi being one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his election victory in 2024.

The India-U.S. partnership is further cemented by extensive people-to-people ties. “The 5.4 million strong Indian community in the U.S. and the more than 350,000 students from India who are pursuing studies in U.S. universities strengthen this bond immeasurably.

Beyond political diplomacy, Modi’s visit is expected to further economic and strategic partnerships. During Trump’s first term, defence and trade relations between India and the U.S. saw significant advancements, and this visit is expected to build upon that foundation. The engagement between both nations extends to the Quad framework, with India playing a crucial role alongside the U.S., Japan, and Australia in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Senior Indian officials have already engaged with their American counterparts, laying the groundwork for the visit. “Raksha (Defence) Mantri spoke yesterday evening to Secretary Hegseth, the Secretary of Defence. And if I'm not mistaken, the National Security Advisor and his counterpart have also spoken very recently,” Misri informed on Thursday.

The visit is expected to conclude with a joint statement that will outline key agreements and areas of cooperation for the coming years.

Prime Minister Modi’s back-to-back visits to France and the United States reflect India’s growing role in global governance and its commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships. With AI, defence, trade, and people-to-people ties high on the agenda, these visits will shape India’s diplomatic trajectory in 2025 and years to come.