PM Modi, Macron inaugurate India's new consulate in France's Marseille

On the last day of his visit to France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday jointly inaugurated India's new consulate in France's Marseille city.

The consulate will be India’s second diplomatic mission in the country after the embassy in Paris. It will reduce the need for people to travel to Paris for consular work.

The two leaders jointly inaugurated India's new consulate in Marseille with the press of a button amid cheers from the gathered crowd.

Many of these people had come bearing national flags of both India and France, while some sported a tricolour headgear, adding colour to the occasion.

The inauguration marked a culmination of the announcement that was made during Modi’s France visit in 2023 about India opening a consulate in the city located in the South of France on the Mediterranean coast.

Marseille is a key strategic location and marks the entry point for the ambitious India Europe Economic Corridor. India has plans to use the Marseille port, where no foreign power has current presence.

Prior to the inauguration, Modi and Macron visited the historic Mazargues Cemetery, and paid tributes to the fallen Indian soldiers of World War-1.

Marseille was the base of Indian troops during WW-1 and 900 fallen Indian soldiers have been commemorated at the Mazargues Cemetery here.

Later, the two leaders also interacted with a section of the people in the crowd.

Modi and Macron will also meet officials of the Port of Marseille, the largest port in France.

Modi’s France visit has been marked by special gestures of friendship by President Macron.

“A unique aspect of PM Modi’s visit to France has been the time and respect given by President Macron to him,” official sources said.

On the first day, President Macron spent time with PM Modi at the dinner hosted by him. The camaraderie continued the next day at the AI Action Summit, where India and France co-hosted the summit.

“Demonstrating their close ties, they hosted the India-France CEOs Forum together, reflecting their shared vision for economic collaboration. In an extraordinary gesture of friendship, they travelled together in a joint motorcade and in the same plane to Marseille. President Macron hosted PM Modi for a working dinner in Marseille immediately on landing,” said sources.

The two leaders will also visit the ITER project and the Marseille port together, underscoring the depth of this unique partnership.

“Such proximity and time being given by a leader like Macron for any world leader is rare and rarely has any precedent,” said Indian officials.