NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in France late Monday for a two-day visit, where he was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron at the
Elysee Palace
for a formal dinner, ahead of co-chairing the AI Summit in Paris.
During the dinner, PM Modi also met US Vice President JD Vance, who is in France for the AI Summit, and congratulated him on his electoral victory.
This was the prime minister’s first meeting with JD Vance under the new Trump administration and his initial engagement with the top leadership. The exchange between the two leaders took place on the sidelines of the state banquet, just days before PM Modi’s scheduled visit to Washington.
In a video shared by Macron, PM Modi can be seen shaking Vance’s hand, warmly saying, “Congratulations. Great, great victory.”
“Welcome to Paris, my friend @NarendraModi! Nice to meet you dear @VP Vance! Welcome to all our partners for the
AI Action Summit
. Let’s get to work!” Macron wrote in the post on X.
The Prime Minister will co-chair the AI Action Summit with the French President, bringing together global leaders and tech industry executives to explore AI innovations for the greater public good.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that PM Modi and Macron will launch India’s inaugural consulate in Marseille, France. They will also visit the
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
(ITER) facility, where India participates with France and other nations in developing nuclear energy solutions for worldwide advantage.
This marks PM Modi’s sixth visit to France, as per officials.
After concluding his engagements in France, PM Narendra Modi will travel to the United States on February 12-13 at the invitation of President Donald Trump.
This will be the first meeting between the two leaders after Trump assumed office for his second term, making PM Modi the fourth global leader to visit the US following Trump’s inauguration.
Previous engagements with the US
PM Modi previously visited the United States in June 2017, while Trump was hosted for a state visit to India in February 2020.
The two leaders have also spoken twice over the phone since November 2024—on November 6, 2024, and January 27, 2025.
In an early engagement with the new US administration, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar represented PM Modi at Trump’s inauguration.
