Ahead of PM Modi's visit, France steps up security for Bastille Day celebrations after recent violence
Days after riots in France, PM Narendra Modi will visit the country for Bastille Day parade on July 14 in Paris where a tri-services Indian armed forces contingent would be participating.
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FollowFrance is intensifying its security measures for the annual July 14 Bastille Day national festival, following recent riots sparked by the fatal police shooting of a teenager near Paris. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting France on July 13 and 14 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. PM Modi will be the guest of honour at the Bastille Day parade on July 14 in Paris where a tri-services Indian armed forces contingent would be participating.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that 130,000 police officers will be deployed from Thursday evening onward, along with the readiness of helicopters and specialized police units like the RAID and GIGN divisions.
Also read: France's Macron to host PM Modi at iconic Louvre museum for Bastille Day dinner
The MEA said President Macron will host a state banquet as well as a private dinner in honour of PM Modi. The two leaders will also hold wide-ranging talks. "The Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet the prime minister of France as well as the presidents of the Senate and the National Assembly of France," the MEA said.
PM Modi will separately interact with the Indian diaspora in France, CEOs of Indian and French companies, and prominent French personalities.
"This year marks the 25th anniversary of the India–France strategic partnership and the Prime Minister's visit will provide an opportunity to chart the course of the partnership for the future across diverse sectors such as strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic cooperation," the MEA said.
Last Thursday, two C-17 Globemaster planes carrying a 269-person detachment from the Indian armed forces' three branches departed for Paris. Along with French aircraft, at least three Rafale fighter jets from the Indian Air Force (IAF) are anticipated to participate in the flypast over the Champs Elysees on this special occasion.
The riots in France erupted in late June after a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan heritage named Nahel M was shot by the police for failing to comply with a stop order for his car. Initially starting in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where the shooting occurred, the protests quickly spread to other major cities such as Lyon and Marseille.
Although the riots have calmed down in recent days, law enforcement authorities are concerned about potential unrest on the evening of the July 14 public holiday, which is celebrated as Bastille Day to commemorate the pivotal event of the French Revolution: the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789.
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