Prime Minister Modi will visit France on April 9, Germany on April 12 and then Canada on April 14, in a three-nation tour to Europe and North America.
The trip is to be centered on the PM’s economic agenda of improving growth, boosting commerce and promoting Indian manufacturing. Modi has met the leaders of all three nations in multilateral summits before, but this is the first time he will embark on bilateral visits.
Modi in France
In France, Modi will visit Paris, Toulouse and attend a memorial near Lille.
Modi will meet French President Francois Hollande. The two leaders will discuss investment opportunities as well as civil nuclear cooperation. France is India’s top defense supplier within the European Union and Modi will also discuss defense issues, especially the sale of 126 Dassault Rafale fighter jets to India. They will discuss the nuclear deal for Jaitapur reactor which has been under negotiations since 2010 between France’s Areva and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL). With the COP21 conference to be held in Paris in November Holland and Modi will also discuss climate change and India joining a potential climate change pact at the conference.
In Toulouse Modi will visit the Airbus headquarters in a bid to have more parts manufactured in India.
Modi and Hollande are expected to sign a number of agreements including MOUs on space cooperation, tourism, anti-terror training between the National Security Guard and France’s GIGN special ops forces (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group).
Modi in Germany
In Germany, Modi will visit Hannover where he will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and jointly inaugurate the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial trade fair.
Modi will be leading a large Indian government and business delegation with around 400 Indian companies. He is expected to interact with top German executives and present India as a manufacturing hub through his “Make in India” campaign.
Modi and Merkel are also expected to discuss existing and potential bilateral cooperation in green energy, infrastructure, affordable housing, and the Clean Ganga initiative.
Modi in Canada
In Canada, Modi will visit Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
Modi would be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Canada since 1973 which is home to 1.3 million people of Indian origin.
In Vancouver, Modi is expected to visit the historic Khalsa Diwan Gurudwara as well as give an address to the Indian community.