 "Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron. Modi is in France and has moved his visit from Paris to Marseille. Image Courtesy: @NarendraModi/X")
After co-hosting the AI Summit in Paris, PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron are in the French city of Marseille as part of the PM’s three day visit.
On his arrival in the French city, PM Modi posted on X, “Landed in Marseille. In India’s quest for freedom, this city holds special significance. It was here that the great Veer Savarkar attempted a courageous escape.
He added, “I also want to thank the people of Marseille and the French activists of that time who demanded that he not be handed over to British custody. The bravery of Veer Savarkar continues to inspire generations!”
In Marseille, Modi and Macron will inaugurate the Indian consulate that will deepen people-to-people linkages. They will also pay homage to the Indian soldiers martyred in First and Second World Wars at the Mazargues War Cemetery.
The two leaders are also slated to visit International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facilities near Marseille. ITER, a major fusion technology project of which India and France are members, aims to “harness energy for the global good”.
Let’s take a look at why India chose Marseille for its diplomatic mission in France.
Indian consulate in Marseille
PM Modi and French President Macron will unveil India’s new consulate in Marseille on Wednesday. New Delhi announced its intention to open a consulate in the southern French city during PM Modi’s visit to France in 2023 for the 25th anniversary of the Indo-French partnership.
“In order to enhance people-to-people ties between India and France and particularly serve consular requirements and strengthen commercial relations in the South of France, India will open its Consulate General in Marseille,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement at the time.
The consulate will cater to the expanding Indian diaspora in southern France – Marseille, Toulouse and the Rhone-Alpes region, sources told Economic Times (ET).
The consulate will save time and money by reducing the need to travel to the French capital for consular work. Reports say it will also provide assistance to Indian businesses seeking to establish or increase their footprint in France.
As per Indian Express, the inauguration of the consulate in the presence of both Indian and French leaders highlights the growing bilateral ties between the two countries, along with a rise in India’s global diplomatic presence.
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Why Marseille matters to India
Marseille’s strategic location on the Mediterranean coast makes it a key gateway for trade between India and France. The southern French city is among the entry points for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) .
Launched on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in 2023, the IMEC project could also figure in the talks between Modi and Macron.
The connectivity project envisions linking India’s West coast to Europe via West Asia.
“Mumbai and Marseille will be the two ends of the corridor (IMEC). Talks on the corridor will be high on the agenda,” diplomatic sources told ThePrint.
India is also coordinating with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the corridor project, whose progress has been hit by the conflict in West Asia.
Notably, France is the only country to have appointed a special envoy for IMEC, a transnational rail and shipping route. President Macron’s special envoy for the mega connectivity project, Gérard Mestrallet, visited the port of Mundra in Gujarat last September as it is one of the main points of the corridor.
He had underlined that the “existing direct shipping line between Mundra and Marseille is an asset which displays competitive time for export and import flows”.
India is also eager to use the Marseille port, where no other foreign country has a role or presence, reported ET. The Port of Marseille-Fos is the biggest port in France and the third biggest in the Mediterranean.
Modi and Macron are likely to meet stakeholders from the port of Marseille and other sectors. Marseille’s port is a gateway for transporting goods between Europe, Africa, West Asia, and Asia.
As Indian Express noted, Marseille’s location in the Mediterranean makes it a strategic telecommunications connection hub. It is a gateway for submarine cables, which carry 99 per cent of the world’s data traffic (internet and telephony), connecting Europe to Africa, West Asia and Asia.
During his trip, PM Modi will also pay tribute to the Indian soldiers martyred during World Wars I and II at the Mazargues War Cemetery in Marseille. An Indian memorial to honour the fallen soldiers who fought during World War I was unveiled in 1925 by Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood in the southern French city.
After concluding his France visit on February 12, Modi will head to the United States on a two-day visit to meet President Donald Trump.
With inputs from agencies