The President Of France Will Be The Special Guest At India's Republic Day Festivities.

In a move that Macron’s office called on Friday a significant expression of the two countries’ strong relationship, India has asked French President Emmanuel Macron to be the primary guest at Republic Day celebrations in that country next month.

Macron’s third trip to India as president will take place on January 26 in honor of Republic Day. On January 26, 1950, the 74th anniversary of India’s Constitution adoption—nearly three years after the country gained independence from British colonial rule—is being commemorated.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi was invited by India as an official guest in January 2023. The 90-minute display culminated with a flyby of 75 air force fighters, including transport aircraft, helicopters, and French-built Rafale jets.

All three of Macron’s immediate predecessors as president of France—François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Jacques Chirac—have previously attended the event as guests of France.

The invitation was referred to by Macron’s staff as “an extremely strong gesture.”

The two countries are “strategic partners,” according to India’s External Affairs Ministry, which also stated that “India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues.”