India invites France's Emmanuel Macron as 2024 Republic Day chief guest after Biden drops out

French President Emmanuel Macron has been invited as the chief guest for 2024 Republic Day celebrations. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France, where he was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Dat Parade in Paris. During the G20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi, PM Modi had extended invitation to Joe Biden to be the chief guest at the Republic Day 2024 celebrations, but the visit of the US President did not materialise. No specific reason has been provided by the American side for Biden’s inability to accept India’s invitation. 6th time a French leader invited to be chief guest at R-Day parade Since 1950, France holds a distinction by being the only country to have received the maximum number of invitations to India’s Republic Day celebrations. The day holds special significance as the Constitution of India came into effect, signifying the nation’s transition to a republic. In 2016, the then French President François Hollande was the chief guest of India’s Republic Day parade, while in 2008 President Nicolas Sarkozy was invited by the country as the guest for the event. In 1998, invitation was extended to the then French President President Jacques Chirac and in 1980, formed French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was invited by India as the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations. In 1976, France ex-Prime Minister Jacques Chirac became the first-ever leader of the country to be invited as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day celebration. India-France relations India’s gesture of inviting the French leader to be the chief guest for Republic Day celebrations reflects the strong bond and trust that has developed between the two countries over time. France has remained India’s key partner in space, human rights, defence systems among others. The year 2023 also marks 25 years of the India-France strategic partnership. At PM Modi’s visit to Paris earlier this year, a roadmap for the next 25 years was released which focused on a number of initiatives including both sides agreeing to explore projects to develop the Indian submarine fleet, French support to build “Shakti Engine”, working together in the Indo Pacific. Earluer this week, the French government has submitted detailed letter of acceptance (LoA) to India’s defence ministry of the estimated Rs 50,000 crore deal of 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets and associated equipment. Also it is worth mentioning that France has been persistently supporting India’s bid to be a member of a reformed United Nations Security Council, or UNSC, and backed listing of Pakistani terrorists at the UN.