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On the third and final day of his France visit on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi visited the historic Mazargues Cemetery in Marseille with French President Emmanuel Macron and paid tribute to Indian soldiers who fought in World War I and World War II, many of whom are cremated there.
Noting that freedom fighter Veer Savarkar attempted a "courageous escape" in Marseille, PM Modi wrote on X, "In India's quest for freedom, this city holds special significance. It was here that the great Veer Savarkar attempted a courageous escape. I also want to thank the people of Marseille and the French activists of that time who demanded that he not be handed over to British custody. The bravery of Veer Savarkar continues to inspire generations!".
Savarkar had attempted his escape on July 8, 1910, from HMS Morea, by slipping through a porthole and swimming ashore. He was captured by French authorities and handed back to officials on the ship.
PM Modi also inaugurated the Indian Consulate in Marseille and said that it will deepen ties between the two countries. "President Macron and I reached Marseille a short while ago. This visit will witness important programmes aimed at further connecting India and France. The Indian consulate which is being inaugurated will deepen people-to-people linkages. I will also pay homage to the Indian soldiers martyred in the First and Second World Wars," the PM wrote earlier in the day.
Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora at a hotel in Marseille. "We have been staying here for the past 4 years...I met PM Modi now...he was very happy to meet us and we also felt really happy," Priyanka Sharma, a member of the diaspora, told news agency ANI.
Apart from visiting a logistics centre, PM Modi and Mr Macron will also take a tour of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project in Cadarache in southern France. India has committed Rs 17,500 crore, which is about 10% of the project's cost. It has also contributed the biggest component in the project - the world's largest refrigerator that houses this unique reactor.
'Touched New Heights'
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi and Mr Macron travelled together to Marseille in the French presidential aircraft. Mr Misri termed this an "exceptional gesture" which is "emblematic not only of the deep personal trust" between the two leaders but the "remarkable confidence" they have in each other.
"The Prime Minister and the President held discussions on board the aircraft. You could say that India-France relations touched new heights, literally. And these discussions onboard the aircraft on a number of issues continued on landing in Marseille, where the two leaders were joined by their larger delegations... These discussions covered the entire gamut of our deep and diverse strategic partnership," he said.
The two leaders, Mr Misri said, reviewed progress in the areas of defence, space, civil nuclear cooperation, health and people-to-people cooperation.