A AKHTER / NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a six day official visit to France and Slovakia beginning Saturday, combining bilateral diplomacy, technology engagement and participation in the G7 Summit.
The visit will begin in the French city of Nice, where Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Emmanuel Macron on Sunday. The discussions are expected to review the full spectrum of India–France relations, which were elevated earlier this year to a Special Global Strategic Partnership.
During the Nice leg of the visit, the two leaders will jointly inaugurate the Bharat Innovates event, a platform bringing together leading startups, venture capital funds and innovation stakeholders from India, France and other countries. Organised during the India–France Year of Innovation, the initiative is aimed at strengthening collaboration in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and investment ecosystems.
In the second phase of the tour, Prime Minister Modi will undertake a State Visit to Slovakia from 14 to 16 June. The visit will mark the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since the country became independent in 1993. The engagement follows recent high level exchanges, including President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Slovakia last year and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini’s visit to India earlier this year.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to explore new avenues of cooperation in areas of mutual interest. He is also expected to meet President Pellegrini.
The Prime Minister will then return to France to participate in the G7 Summit in Évian on 16–17 June. The summit will bring together leaders of G7 nations, invited partner countries and international organisations to deliberate on major global economic and geopolitical issues.
In the final phase of the visit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Paris on 18 June for additional bilateral engagements and participation in the VivaTech Summit, one of Europe’s largest technology and startup gatherings. He is also expected to interact with members of the Indian diaspora.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the multi nation European visit is expected to deepen India’s strategic engagement with France, strengthen emerging cooperation with Slovakia and reinforce India’s role as a leading voice of the Global South. The government also expects participation in Bharat Innovates and VivaTech to highlight India’s growing position in innovation, digital transformation and entrepreneurship while opening new opportunities for collaboration across European technology ecosystems.