New Delhi: Bharat has invited French President Emmanuel Macron as the chief guest for the 2024 Republic Day function. This invitation comes after US President Joe Biden announced his inability to attend due to the upcoming election rush.
If Macron accepts the invitation and attends the event, he will be the fifth French president to grace the Indian Republic Day parade. Previous French presidents who attended include Valery Giscard in 1980, Jacques Chirac in 1998, Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, and Francois Hollande in 2016. Macron had previously visited Bharat in September of this year as part of the G20 summit.
Bharat and France share a strong and friendly relationship. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest at France’s Bastille Day parade in July. During this event, all three wings of the Indian Military paraded alongside the French Army contingents.
Initially, US President Joe Biden was invited to the ceremony. However, due to the impending American presidential elections, he conveyed that he must participate in campaign programs and would not be able to attend.
