PM Narendra Modi to host French President Emmanuel Macron in Varanasi; to take boat ride on Ganga, inaugurate solar power plant

Pic courtesy: Reuters

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday host French President Emmanuel Macron in Varanasi, where the two leaders will participate in several programmes, including a boat ride on river Ganga.

Looking forward to hosting President @EmmanuelMacron in Varanasi tomorrow.

via NMApp pic.twitter.com/BNncEXTFGm

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 11, 2018

The two leaders will first leave for Mirzapur, where they will inaugurate a solar power plant, before returning to Varanasi, PTI quoted official sources as saying.

In Varanasi, the two leaders will visit the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul and interact with artisans. They will also witness a live demonstration of their crafts.

PM Modi and President Macron will then arrive at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, where they will board a boat for a ride along the ghats of the Ganga. The boat ride will end at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat.

PM Modi will also host a lunch in the honour of the French President.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will flag off a train from Varanasi's Maduadih Railway Station to Patna. 

Visuals of preparations ahead of PM Narendra Modi & French President #EmmanuelMacron's visit to Varanasi. Both the leaders will visit Assi Ghat & Dashashwamedh Ghat. pic.twitter.com/k31gyWXHFG

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

Mirzapur: Visuals from the Solar Power Plant which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of France #EmmanuelMacron today. #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/mcW04O8JMi

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

On Sunday, Macron on Sunday had visited the Taj Mahal in Agra. 

Meanwhile, on Saturday, India and France had inked 14 pacts, including in key areas of defence, nuclear energy and protection of classified information besides resolving to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, with PM Modi asserting that the synergy between the two sides was from "land to sky".

Held important talks with President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed several areas of India-France cooperation, particularly in defence, security, trade and people-to-people ties. https://t.co/QbRofwXNtw pic.twitter.com/MhhxRkaK5T

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2018

The agreements were signed after extensive talks between PM Modi and Macron, including on ways to intensify counter-terrorism efforts.

The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and terror-related incidents in France and India.

Reaffirming their commitment to further Indo-French ties, the two leaders decided to take it to a new level by agreeing to hold biennial summits between the Prime Minister of India and the President of France, a joint statement issued after Modi-Macron talks said.

(With PTI inputs)