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France’s Hollande views Indian Republic Day parade France’s Hollande views Indian Republic Day parade
(35 minutes later)
NEW DELHI — French President Francois Hollande has viewed an elaborate display of Indian marching bands and military hardware as the guest of honor at India’s Republic Day celebration. NEW DELHI — French President Francois Hollande was wrapping up his three-day visit to India Tuesday by watching an elaborate display of Indian military hardware and marching bands taking part in India’s Republic Day celebrations.
Hollande is on a three-day visit to India that ends Tuesday. He was joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top officials for the anniversary of India’s democratic constitution taking force in 1950.
Republic Day marks the anniversary of India’s democratic constitution taking force in 1950. On Monday, French and Indian officials signed over a dozen agreements including one on jointly combating terror but stopped short of a final deal on New Delhi’s desire to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets. Both Modi and Hollande said that they hoped that a final agreement would be hammered out soon.
The French president is accompanied by his ministers of defense, foreign affairs, economy and culture, and dozens of top corporate leaders. Modi had first announced India’s intention to buy the French combat jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation in Paris in April. Since then official on both sides have been discussing prices, offsets and servicing details.
On Monday, French and Indian officials signed more than a dozen agreements, including one on jointly combating terror but stopped short of a final deal on New Delhi’s purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. After viewing the parade, Hollande was expected to attend a reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, India’s sprawling presidential palace.
The French leader arrived Sunday in the northern city of Chandigarh, where Modi joined him and lauded France’s decision to invest $1 billion every year in India in various sectors.
Chandigarh was designed in the 1950s by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and is one of three places that France has pledged to help develop as so-called “smart cities” with clean water supplies, efficient sewage disposal and public transportation.
Hollande and French business leaders met with their Indian counterparts to boost bilateral trade, which in 2014 totaled $8.6 billion.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.