Security geared up ahead of R Day, Hollandes visit

His comment comes two days ahead of French President Francois Hollande’s official visit to India. “They have never proved to be true threats”, he said. “That is probably the reason why it is leaked”, he said.

Hollande arrives in New Delhi on Sunday to take part in Tuesday’s 67th Republic Day ceremony as the chief guest. France is also the first country with which India entered into a civil nuclear energy cooperation in 2008 after obtaining the NSG waiver.

He said the discussions between Mr. Modi and Mr. Hollande would also cover ways of ensuring concrete cooperation in the area of climate change between the two countries.

Meanwhile, asked about the co-development project of a short range surface-to-air missile by the Defence Research and Development Organisation with MBDA of France, the Ambassador said, “We are working on it”.

French Leader Francois Hollande comes Saturday before visiting New Delhi for conferences with a location along with authorities as the visitor of honor on Wednesday at Republic Day march to tour Chandigarh. Some of the Paris attackers used or attempted to use the Syria-Turkey border to travel between Islamic State-held territory and Europe, the officials said.

Commentators have pointed out that there are differences between the French and Indian experience of handling terror, but both sides will benefit by exchanging ideas and strategies for a larger goal.

Last year Prime Minister Modi had finalised the deal by slimming it down from the original proposal of buying 126 of these jets from French Dassault Aviation, to buying only 36 warplanes in flyaway condition. Earlier leaders from that country had come in 1976, 1980, 1998 and 2008. Designed in the 1950s by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, Chandigarh is one of three cities that France has pledged to help develop as so-called “smart cities” – with clean water supplies, efficient sewage disposal and public transportation, among other programs.

Hollande will watch the Republic Day celeberations on January 26 at the Rajpath.

France has also been a key backer of moderate opposition forces battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has been advising them on how to prepare proposed peace talks with the Syrian government on January 25. In the noon, he will have a private lunch with French and Indian celebrities. He will be leaving for Paris in the evening.