French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jaipur on Thursday to discuss a range of economic and strategic issues, including possible fast-tracking of India-EU FTA negotiations. Afterward, he will travel before traveling to New Delhi to participate in the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.

Macron is scheduled to reach Jaipur on Thursday afternoon and immediately embark on a tour of prominent monuments, including the Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, and Hawa Mahal, as per the programme shared by the Ministry of External Affairs.

In the evening, Macron will meet Modi at the Rambagh Palace hotel for their bilateral meeting. 

“This visit is expected to provide an impetus to various domains of mutual interest, ranging from defense cooperation to economic ties, and from energy collaboration to space and nuclear partnerships. The discussions will likely pave the way for new agreements and deepen existing cooperation, reflecting the dynamic and evolving nature of the India-France strategic partnership,” according to Ajay Srivastava, Co-founder of Delhi-based think-tank Global Trade Research Initiative.

Both leaders are also likely to discuss speeding up negotiations for the India-EU Free Trade Agreement for mutual gains.

Macron will fly to Delhi on Thursday night and participate in the Republic Day celebrations the following day.

The French President will then attend a reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. The two will have a formal meeting in the evening. Macon is scheduled to depart India on Friday night.

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