Hollande meets Modi and pays a visit to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial

French President Francois Hollande met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visited the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian independence, on the second day of his state visit to the country.

The French leader laid a wreath of flowers in the colors of the French flag, and showered rose petals on the black marble platform, built at the spot where Gandhi was cremated, a customary practice by foreign dignitaries visiting the country.

Earlier, Hollande had received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan or the presidential palace by his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Modi, after inspecting a guard of honor.

Later, in a short press briefing, Hollande emphasized the “immense cooperation” between France and India and praised Modi for the “important” role he played during the climate change summit in Paris in November last year.

“We are going to follow up on all the decisions that were taken at the COP21 as far as action against climate change is concerned but in addition to that we will be further strengthening our economic relations in all areas, from agriculture to space,” said Hollande.

Hollande began a threeday state visit to India on Sunday and will be the chief guest at the annual Republic Day parade in the country’s capital, New Delhi, on Tuesday.