"Long Live The Friendship": PM Modi and President Macron Strengthen India-France Ties at G20 Summit 2025

After meeting Macron, Prime Minister Modi expressed that India-France relations continue to serve as a force for global good.

Johannesburg:

Following his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his appreciation and reaffirmed the robust nature of India-France diplomatic ties.

"Thank you, my friend, dear Narendra Modi. Nations are stronger when they move forward together. Long live the friendship between our countries!" Macron posted on the social media platform X.

In response, Prime Minister Modi characterized their interaction as a "delightful exchange" and emphasized that the relationship between India and France remains a "force for global good."

"Delighted to meet President Macron during the Johannesburg G20 Summit. We had an engaging exchange on different issues. India-France ties remain a force for global good!" Prime Minister Modi wrote on X.

Meanwhile, during the second session of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the critical necessity of strengthening international cooperation for disaster preparedness and response.

Highlighting the increasing frequency and impact of natural disasters globally, he described these events as a significant challenge facing humanity. Modi noted that India established the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group during its 2023 G20 presidency to enhance global collaboration in this area and commended South Africa for prioritizing this important issue.

"Natural disasters continue to pose a major challenge to humanity. This year as well, they have impacted a large portion of the global population. These events clearly highlight the need to strengthen international cooperation for effective disaster preparedness and response. To support this idea, India formed the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group during its G20 Presidency. I also congratulate South Africa for giving priority to this important agenda," PM Modi stated during his address.

The Prime Minister advocated for a transition from a "response-centric" approach to a "development-centric" approach in building disaster resilience. Underscoring India's belief that space technology should benefit all of humanity, he proposed a G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership to enhance accessibility and value of satellite data from G20 space agencies, particularly for nations in the Global South.