PM Modi begins 2-day France visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday departed for France, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. He will be in the country for two days (July 13 and July 14).On July 14 (Friday), PM Modi will be the guest of honour at the annual Bastille Day Parade, which will see the participation of a 269-member Indian tri-service contingent.Three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will also join the flypast on the occasion, along with French jets. 

Taking to Twitter Thursday morning, the prime minister said, "Leaving for Paris, where I will take part in the Bastille Day celebrations. I look forward to productive discussions with President Emmanuel Macron and other French dignitaries. Other programmes include interacting with the Indian community and top CEOs."PM Modi also mentioned his UAE visit and said, "On the 15th, I will be in UAE for an official visit. I shall be holding talks with H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. I am confident our interactions will add strength to India-UAE friendship and benefit the people of our countries."